Fate Zero: Winter Snow Chronicles
by ariados26
Summary: An unexpected variable turns up in Fuyuki, causing some things to unravel differently. This time the King of Conquerors finds himself partnered with an unorthodox Master. Strong-willed, defiant and with a sense of justice, will her presence be enough to veer the Heaven's Feel from its intended course? Or will it end in tragedy just the same?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, nor do I own any of the anime and book references I use, and I'm only writing this for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

**Fateful Evening**

A girl with silver hair opened the door of her apartment and entered it, tired and beat from another day of school. Being an honor student, after all, was understandably exhausting. Maintaining grades, maintaining appearances, to constantly wear a mask over one's face and deceiving everyone around you is indeed very tiring.

Of course, she was not like this from the start, and despite excelling in class, because of her cheerful and honest nature, it was easy for her to make friends. Sadly, because of her lifestyle, she could only stay in one place for a short while, at two months at most, after which she had to leave, then transfer to another school.

Tired of the sadness, tired of the painful goodbyes, she decided it would be best not to form too many close bonds, for the stronger the friendship, the harder it is to say farewell. She knew that she could still come and visit, but all the same, it was still emotional baggage.

"Mew!"

Before she knew it, she felt something climb up her to her shoulders, as something wet and moist started moving back and forth on her left cheek, which turned out to be a small tongue.

"Oh, good evening, Neko-chan," she greeted, reflexively patting the head of the beautiful creature with midnight black fur and ruby red eyes, eyes that are just similar, with the exception of their slightly slit-like appearance, to her own.

At least, even though she now always wore a mask over her face, she could drop her aloof facade, and be herself, around her best friend: her cat.

The girl then went to the kitchens, opening the fridge and taking out two bottles, pouring the entire content of one into a bowl, before setting it on the table.

"Here you go."

"Mew!" The ball of fur exclaimed as it jumped from the girl's shoulder on to the table, slurping the calcium-filled drink happily.

Satisfied with her small companion's reaction, the girl smiled slightly, as she opened the other bottle for herself and began to drink as well.

"Mew!"

"You've finished it already?"The girl asked tiredly. Not even ten seconds had passed yet her friend Neko had already finished her milk, and was now staring expectantly at the bottle from which the girl was drinking from.

_Then again, your companions are bound to adopt some of your habits,_ thought the girl with a sigh, knowing full well it was probably her fault that her cat could eat and drink much faster than other felines, seeing as it probably got that from her.

"Sorry, Neko-chan, but this is the last one."

"Mew..." The cat mewed with a disappointed expression on its face. In response, the girl extended her hand and started scratching the cat's ears.

"Should we go out and buy some?"

"Mew!"

Immediately, the pouting expression on the feline's face was replaced with anticipation, as it jumped towards the girl and settled itself comfortable on her shoulder.

"Right, let's get going then," the girl said, as she walked out of her apartment, gently closing the door behind her, before heading out.

**xxxXXXxx**

"Ah, that hit the spot," the girl muttered in satisfaction. After a quick trip to the department store, they immediately headed back to her apartment, choosing to stay at the balcony, where she and her feline friend consumed the calcium-filled drink which they bought.

It was strange, the girl had to admit to herself. Cats and milk, were both things that don't mix together well with her. She had once disliked drinking milk due to its unpleasant taste, and while she was not exactly allergic or afraid of cats, she did not like their presence. Yet here she was, staring up at the clear moonlit sky with Neko, her best friend, who happened to be a cat, both of them consuming over half a dozen bottles of milk as if it was the most delicious drink in the world.

And as she continued staring up at the cloudless sky, the girl recalled the dream she had the night before, a dream which was not just a dream, but rather a memory from three years back...

_..._

_She was looking at a familiar person..._

_A woman with jet black hair who was in her mid-twenties. She was beautiful, by any standards, and she needed neither lipstick nor make up for her to stand out. She was a cut above other women, of that there was no doubt, yet her cold look and the piercing gaze in her eyes made anyone who even thought of approaching her to give up, and whenever she walked by, people tend to try and avoid her, only gazing at her from the distance._

_Yet the young girl of fourteen looked up at her without any fear. After all, the woman's cold persona was nothing but a mask, one which the girl, unlike others, was easily able to see through._

"_I have to get going now. Take care of yourself." _

"_Yes, Mama," the younger girl replied, as the raven-haired woman, just as she had always done, enveloped her in a brief hug. Then, after a few seconds, the woman got up, and without another word, turned and started walking away._

_Even though the treatment may seem a bit cold, the young girl knew it for what it was. Despite the woman's cold and emotionless demeanour, she could feel the warmth that was coming from her. She knew her mother very well, and it was for this very reason, that she knew._

_Her mother was not coming back._

_In the four years since her mother adopted her, the raven-haired woman was away for half of that time. Sometimes it was for a week, sometimes two, and there were times when she was not around for almost two months at a time, yet every single time she left, her mother's words before she left would always be "I'll be gone for a while. Take care of yourself."_

_Yet this time, the words she spoke were different. Instead of saying that she will be gone for a while, she said that it was time for her to leave. When her mother pulled her into an embrace, while it was a brief as always, it was tighter, ever so slightly, almost as if she did not want to let go, as if trying to give her as much love as she could before she departed._

_In truth, she too did not want to let go. She did not want her mother to leave, and thus she actually had the urge to hang on to her, to cry, knowing that her mother would definitely be moved, yet she knew, that there was nothing she could do to prevent her from leaving. After all, her mother was doing this more for her sake than for anyone else._

"_Have a safe trip!"_

_Thus, instead of crying and throwing a tantrum, the girl strengthened her resolve, and instead, waved at her mother's retreating back, waiting for her to completely vanish in the distance, before dropping to her knees and finally allowing the flood of tears that had been forming in her eyes to flow._

_A world where there was no strife. A world where everyone would be happy. A world where her daughter could find happiness. That is the mission which her mother was trying to accomplish. _

_But even though she was only fourteen, the girl knew deep down, that her mother's wish to save everyone, is nothing but a mere fantasy. Even if it was possible, sacrifices had to be made for it to come into fruition. And her mother, it seems, was planning to willingly become one of those sacrifices._

_And that was something which the girl could not accept._

_A world where everyone would be happy. A peaceful and tranquil world where there was no strife and conflict. What was the point of living in such a world if her mother was not there? What her mother did not know is that the girl never actually wanted any of it. Because for the girl, her mother was her greatest source of joy._

_Yes, perhaps she was being selfish. But it did not matter to her. Her mother, the person who had taken her in and saved her, the person who she loved more than anyone in the world..._

_She would rather go to hell and see the world destroyed than let her mother die._

_If only there was someone willing enough. If only there was someone strong enough to do what has to be done, perhaps her mother would not have to be the one to do it. Yet sadly there was no one else, who was either willing or capable enough to accomplish that particular goal._

"_Damn it!"_

_Looking up at the high heavens, the girl wailed in frustration._

_Yes, she was weak. She was helpless. She was useless. The fact that there was nothing she could do only added to her misery._

_At least not at the moment._

"_No, I can't accept it. I won't accept it."_

_For the girl also knew that wallowing in despair would get her nowhere. Thus, she quickly made up her mind._

_Getting up from where she was kneeling on the ground, the girl wiped away the tears from her eyes, and replaced the sorrowful look on her face with a smile._

_If there was one particular quality which the girl possessed, it was her stubbornness and naturally optimistic view. She may be weak and useless at the moment, but with hard work and determination, she was confident she could change that. _

"_Stronger... I need to get stronger." The girl muttered to herself, with a determined look on her face._

_..._

"Am I strong enough now?" The girl whispered quietly to herself. It had been a week since she arrived at Fuyuki City, where she had travelled to because her instinct told her that her mother might be there, yet so far, she had not managed to find her, not even a single trace. Then again, she knew for a fact, better than anyone, that if her mother did not want to be found, no one will be able to find her.

Still, that was no reason for her to give up. Thus, just as she had always done, she decided that she would stay in the city for a few days, and when she is convinced that she really is not there, she will move on to the next place and try looking for her there instead.

And as she continued looking at the beautiful crescent moon, the girl began to sing, a beautiful song which she always sung to lighten her heart, so that she would not succumb to loneliness.

_Sing a song unto the world,  
>Rising high the clouds unfurl,<br>Gazing at the twilight's sky,  
>Broken by a newborn's cry,<br>Changes from the smallest things,  
>Gazing at an angel's wings,<br>Fall down, fall down, falls the rain,  
>My life's not in vain,<em>

_Light and bouncy in the wind,_  
><em>Sing a song unto the world,<em>  
><em>Rising high, the cluds unfurl,<em>  
><em>Fan the flames into the past,<em>  
><em>Here, now, our lives will last,<em>  
><em>We'll never know the times of pain,<em>  
><em>Fall down fall down falls the rain,<em>  
><em>My life won't be plain<em>

_Light and bouncy in the wind,_  
><em>Sings a song unto the world,<em>  
><em>Fall down, fall down, falls the rain,<em>  
><em>My life won't be plain.<em>

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Stupid... stupid... stupid..."

Unfortunately for her, being a milk addict can have a lot of dire consequences, so much so that she could not even think of singing or think about being lonely at all.

The girl had been taught to spend money wisely, something which she had always opted to follow, yet when it comes to the luscious calcium-filled drink, her spending end up being _a bit excessive_... And thus, because of her carelessness, she only had little money left, just slightly more than enough to pay off her rent and buy food, along with three bottles of milk a day (which in her opinion, was a terrible disaster, since she and Neko would always drink half a dozen bottles of milk as a bare minimum.).

Having maintained outstanding grades even though she had transferred schools quite a number of times due to her travels, the silver-haired female naturally benefitted from a couple of scholarships. Sadly, the money from said grants would not be arriving anytime soon.

Thus, in order to compensate for her mistakes, the girl, with fishing rod and gear in hand, went out to the harbour to go fishing so that she would not have to buy it instead. After all, even though she did not exactly like it from the start, she had come to like the taste of fish, seeing as it was her companion's favourite food. She was, of course, already looking for a viable part time job, but for now, this was, in her mind, the best course of action.

Being a master of hook and line fishing, the two buckets she brought along with her were soon filled with lively trout and salmon.

Still, she would have certainly preferred that the fish was already cooked and processed and not fresh. Fresh fish, after all, was slippery and slimy, and while she was used to it, it was still at a barely tolerable level.

Finished with her work, the girl started headed back to her apartment, which was only a short walk away from the harbor...

?!

... when she felt it.

Never let your guard down. That was one of the pieces of advice that the girl's mother had given her. It may sound a bit exaggerated, but it is true. In any battle, in any situation, application in most situations, a moment's hesitation, a moment's lack of focus, could mean win or lose, victory or defeat, life or death.

Indeed, five years ago, she almost lost her life during one of the times that she and her mother had gone out fishing. Not expecting a fish that has been pulled out of water to fight back, she was caught off guard when it lunged at her, and had her mother not been there, the swordfish would have pierced her heart. In the end the disaster was averted, and instead, she was only grazed by the fish on her left shoulder, which was now nothing more than a scar.

With her mother's sufficient healing abilities, she knew that it would have been possible to remove the scar, and in fact, with her own healing abilities, she could probably heal the ugly scar herself.

But she decided to keep it, to serve as a reminder, that she should always remain focused.

And right now, her instincts were once again acting up, telling her that something was wrong.

"Mew!" A voice exclaimed, as a black blur with glowing red eyes sprinted towards her and jumped on her shoulders, with an uneasy look on its furry face.

"Neko-chan!"

And sure enough, it seems as if her cat also felt it. Setting down the two buckets of fish which she caught, the girl tightened her grip on her fishing rod, and concentrated on watching her surroundings, eyes narrowed, looking out for any sign of danger.

At first glance, it would seem that nothing was amiss, that everything was fine. However, to those who practice certain arts, as well as those who are more sensitive to their surroundings, they would notice that there is a shift in the flow of energy, a fluctuation that is too great to ignore.

?!

The girl jumped backwards, just in time, as the centre of the fluctuation has been revealed.

Had there been people looking in that particular direction at that time in the distance, they would have probably though they saw a brilliant light, flashing from that area like that from a lighthouse.

To those who are closer, however, they would hear a roaring sound like that of thunder, and would notice that their electrical appliances were flickering from the energy. However, at that witching hour at night, no one was watching, not from nearby, not from the distance, tucked in to their beds, spending the cold winter night in slumber.

She, however, was not as unfortunate. Due to circumstances which she had no control of, the silver-haired female had somehow ended up at the flow's epicentre.

"Mew!"

From below her, the girl could feel something tugging at her shirt. It was her cat, Neko, trying to get her to flee and run away from the scene.

Instinct told the girl that to run away was probably the best course of action. While this was not the first that she had been faced with peril, she had never before felt such a large amount of energy, similar to the one she used, being focused in one place.

And yet she could not move, yet it was not out of fear.

It was out of curiosity.

Curiosity killed the cat, a common saying that had been used so many times it was almost to the point of butchery.

But the irony of it all, is that the girl's curiosity exceeded even that of a cat's.

However, it was not just curiosity that drove her. For while it was true that her instinct was telling her to run away, it was that same instinct, that was, at the same time, telling her to stay.

The feeling of familiarity. A sense of déjà vu. For some reason the girl could not understand, she felt as if something like this has happened before, and it reminded her of that blurry dream she would have from time to time.

A forest shrouded in winter snow. Countless pairs of evil yellow eyes looking at her, saliva coming from their mouth, ready to pounce on her and tear her apart.

A blinding flash of light, a tall muscular figure emerging from the center of it, picking up a huge slab of rock shaped like a sword as it was nothing but paper, destroying the vicious beast and turning them into meatbags.

A feeling of safety. A feeling comfort. A fleeting feeling of contentment.

And now, the girl could not help but feel excitement, for just like in her dream, a figure started emerging from the circle in front of her.

Her cat, Neko, knowing how entranced her companion is, gave up its futile attempt to make her run, and instead, resumed its position on the girl's shoulder. The black furred feline may have been frightened, yet she went against its own instinct and decided to stay. She wasn't about to run away by herself and abandon her friend.

"Mew!" Looking at the silver-haired female's face, the cat noticed that her lips were curled into a smile as she looked entranced at the figure emerging from the glowing light.

Only for that smile to fall, as the light finally faded and the entity was completely revealed.

Even though she was only a cat, Neko was actually really smart, to a point that her intelligence was just about equal to that of a human's. But what she was truly good at sensing, was the emotion of other people. Having been around the girl for years, the cat was thus even more adept at guessing what her friend was feeling.

Sadness and disappointment, it was the emotion which Neko could feel from her. The cat did not understand why, but for some reason, instead of feeling fear, she seemed to have been expecting someone else to appear from the light. But then, that would not make any sense.

What Neko did not know, was that her speculation was actually close to the truth.

_It's not him,_ the girl thought sadly, as she adjusted her cap to hide the disappointed look and expression in her eyes. Still, she decided not to let it bother her, considering just what she had probably gotten herself into.

The vision may have been hazy, but if she was right... then she knew what was going to happen next.

The giant of a man, though not the one she had been expecting, stepped out of the circle and started walking towards her, stopping about a meter from where she was standing, before speaking in a booming voice.

"I ask thee, art thou the Master that called me?"

**xxxXXXxxx**

Meanwhile, somewhere else in Fuyuki, a young magus with greenish-black hair and eyes was wondering what went wrong.

He had done everything to the letter, the magic circle, the blood of chickens as a sacrifice, and the catalyst.

And yet, after doing everything perfectly, he was unable to summon a Servant.

To make matters even worse.

"My Command Seals... they're gone... sniff... sniff..."

Not knowing what else to do, the young man, being the wimp that he was, started crying in despair, at the fact that the opportunity to prove himself has been taken from him.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

Well, I suppose this is a sort-of rewrite for one of my fics, but the truth is that I simply made the stupid mistake of accidentally deleting it. It's simple really, I was browsing the site reading fanfics while I was slightly drunk so when I woke up... well, I'm just thankful I did not destroy my laptop.

Yep, that is exactly what happened so to those who had been waiting for updates, I apologize.

Now, it's quite fortunate that I have copies of the chapters in my USB, so I was able to salvage it somewhat but I decided to make a few changes, since it's a rewrite anyway (not to mention that the USB version is somehow different from what I posted anyway). I made a slight change in the prologue, removing a certain part that removes the determined outcome of the story since I intend to change it, too tragic.

So yeah, I will be posting this, and in the next few hours, I might post the other chapters which I am currently re-reading.

By the way, after an advice from a fellow writer, since the amount of inter-lit ideas I'm using is only very minor, he said this should remain in the one category section, so I followed. This will not be moved again.

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, nor do I own any of the anime and book references I use, and I'm only writing this for entertainment purpose only.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**Calm Before the Storm**

The Shinto District, is the centre of commerce and industry in Fuyuki City, where most business establishments serving different purposes could be located. From large stores to the different agencies that deal with various tasks, all of these can be found in this particular area of the city.

Day in and day out, the Shinto district is alive and bustling with people twenty-four hours a day… that is, until the local authorities issued a curfew a few days before, due to the series of murders that were so brutal in nature, that the perpetrator who is yet to be caught has been dubbed as the Demon of Fuyuki.

Thus, everyone was expected to be in their homes by nine in the evening and all stores, save for a few that sell basic necessities, were also required to close at that time. During daylight however, things still remained pretty much the same, with plenty of people going about their business as usual.

And in this district which is the centre of commerce, a rather odd pair was currently walking through it, drawing the attention of the people around them.

"Hey, look over there."

"Do you see that man?"

"Whoa. He's huge."

"Look at all that muscle."

A huge person, generally, is both easy to spot and easily attracts attention.

"So how come it's the girl whose carrying all their stuff then?"

And it is because of this fact that a certain muscular man who stands proudly at over two meters was feeling very uncomfortable.

When a group of people go out together for whatever purpose, it is a natural order of things for the male members to carry the heavy baggage. Typically, the largest and strongest of them would be the one to carry the bulk.

In the case of this particular pair, however, it is the girl, not the guy, who is carrying them.

"Let me help you with that." The large man offered, as he reached out to take forcibly the shopping bags away from his female companion. The girl, however, realizing what he was doing, stepped slightly to the side, foiling the man's attempt at relieving her of her baggage.

"Thank you for the offer, but I can do it myself," the girl said sweetly with a smile. "There is no need for you to bother yourself with mundane tasks, _Your Majesty_."

"..."

All around them, the people who were within earshot had mixed opinions about the two. Some thought they were either father and daughter or uncle and niece. Others thought that they might be friends or lovers, seeing as they have no semblance to each other. However, despite their varying opinions of the two's relationship, there was one line of thought which was parallel with all of them, a line of thought which was whispered rather loudly by a few spectators.

"What a jerk."

"You're still mad about what I said this morning, aren't you, Kite? I'm sorry if I offended you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Oji-san," the silver-haired female innocently with a smile, though it was easy to tell that it was false.

"..."

Jokes and playing around had always been part of the norm, yet there are some issues which particular individuals are sensitive of. And in the case of his companion, making fun of the height of the girl who summoned him was definitely a no-no, and her subtle means of vengeance were certainly disconcerting.

Yes, Alex had been summoned. For Alex, in truth, was not an ordinary human being, but a Servant, a Heroic Spirit, who had been called from the Throne of Heroes to fight for the Heaven's Feel Holy Grail War, although it was only by accident.

**xxxXXXxxx**

_**Four days earlier...**_

"_How on earth did this happen?"_

_Rider, the Mounted Servant, was currently facing a rather strange situation. His true identity being Alexander the Great of Macedonia, the King of Conquerors, it was natural that the moment he was given another shot at life by the Holy Grail, his objective would be moving towards his goal of ruling the world._

_And even though he had just arrived for a few seconds, he was already facing the first obstacle to his conquest: getting on the good side of his Master, who is the one anchoring him to the plane of the living._

_With a piercing glare and a menacing aura, the girl who is his undoubtedly his Master was, for some reason Rider could not understand, looking at him with hostility. Sitting on her shoulder, the girl's cat was also doing exactly the same, two pairs of identical ruby-red eyes staring straight at him as if they wanted nothing less than to melt him with their gaze.._

"_Who are you?"_

_Even though Rider is a proud individual, he knew that offending his Master could mean his instant death. With the knowledge provided by the Grail, he knew that aside from being his anchor, his Master also possessed three Command Seals, which represent three absolute orders that he cannot refuse, even if it was against his will, even if it was to order him to commit suicide._

_From the way the girl acted though, there were two possibilities that came to Rider's mind: either he was not the Heroic Spirit the girl was trying to summon, or else, the girl was not trying to summon a Heroic Spirit at all._

_"I am Alexander the Great, the mighty King of Conquerors, the Servant you summoned under the class of Rider." _

_At this the girl raised an eyebrow._

"_Alexander the Great? Servant? Is this some kind of joke?"_

"_..." The King of Conquerors fell silent for a while, enduring the steely gaze that was being sent at him by his Master. _

"_You know what a Servant is, right? Weren't you the one who summoned me, Master?" The Servant of the Mount inquired, no longer in his usual booming voice, but in a voice that was asking for confirmation_

"_Don't call me Master," the girl muttered in annoyance. "I have a name you know. It's Hisau Keito, and to answer your question, I know what a servant is, but I don't need one. For your information, I'm an independent student with a scholarship who knows how to run her own life so I've never needed one. I certainly do not remember hiring any servant, seeing as I am not financially able enough to do so, so if this is some kind of scam or illegal recruitment, I suggest you leave now, Servant-san, before I call the police."_

"_..."_

_At this, the mighty King of Conquerors could only groan inwardly in response. It seems as if his second guess was correct after all, which makes things much more complicated. He had plans of his own that goes far beyond what he had been summoned for, but if his Master was not even aware of that..._

'_This is going to take a bit of explaining,'. the Mounted Servant sighed in his thoughts. Still, despite his weariness, the King of Conquerors did not show it, and instead maintained his confident yet jovial and friendly posture._

_He was a politician after all, and thus, he knew that he could not show any sign of weakness or hesitation, if he wished to be believed by the person who summoned him, despite it being now apparent that it was only by accident._

"_Master..."_

"_I have a name you know..."_

"_Keito..."_

"_Hisau-san," the girl corrected as she crossed her arms._

"_Right, Hisau-san," the King of Conquerors grudgingly agreed, though he was a bit saddened by his Master's refusal to be on familiar terms. _

"_What do you know about the Hol..." the Mounted Servant, but before he could finish his sentence..._

_Grrrrr..._

_A loud rumbling sound was heard, seemingly echoing in the vicinity._

"_..."_

_It took the King of Conquerors a considerable amount of effort not to laugh at the sight which unfolded before him._

_The silver-haired female lowered the cap she was wearing to hide her face. Unfortunately she was not fast enough to hide the flush that appeared on her cheeks from the Mounted Servant._

_As for the cat, which was perched on her shoulder all that time, was no longer there, and was instead on the ground, standing in an upright position like a human with a pail as support, gazing longingly at the luscious fresh fish which it contained._

"_Rider-san?" The girl, whose stomach was definitely the source of the noise, inquired after a while, and while her voice was still monotonous, the oppressive air around her was no longer present, undoubtedly having a sheepish expression on her face that is hidden from view._

"_Would you mind if we continue our discussion later? On that note, would you mind joining us for dinner?"_

**xxxXXXxxx**

**Back to present...**

And it was at that time that his Master started to open up to him.

Even though the two of them currently still had plenty of disagreements, Alex was glad that he and the girl who had summoned her, were now on friendly terms.

It had only been a few days, yet they had become rather close, close enough, for the girl to let him call her, not just by her first name, but by the name Kite, a nickname that was given to the girl by her mother.

And it was also because of this particular bond of closeness they formed, which had nothing to do with their Contract, that Alex knew that he had to try and placate the girl's anger, and fast.

_It seems that humiliating me in front of a crowd won't be enough for her this time,_ the Mounted Servant sighed in his thoughts, as he saw the smirk on her Master's face grow wider.

Considering the fact that he had teased her on a sore issue, telling her that her attempts to increase her height by continuously drinking milk was futile, it wasn't really that surprising.

Fortunately for him though, in the few days that he and his Master lived under the same roof, he had become aware of her quirks and habits, as well as some of her... weaknesses, and one of which happened to be...

"Oi Kite!"

"Hmmm?"

"Where would like to have our lunch? It's my treat."

...food.

Seeing the girl, who he saw like his own daughter, lower her eight-point cap once again to hide her flushing face, the Mounted Servant could not help but smirk.

This was, without a doubt, his victory...

**xxxXXXxxx**

**A Few Hours Later**

"I can't believe I just did that..."

Hisau Keito, an eighteen year old girl whose objectives include saving the world and getting into a prestigious university, was currently cursing inwardly, finding it hard to come to terms with what she just did.

A couple of hours before, she was in a really foul mood, thanks to a certain freeloading lump of muscle who invaded the privacy of her home a few days before.

Of course, she knew deep down that she was at least partially responsible for the inconvenient situation she was currently in. Still, despite her irritation, she and Neko had somehow been able to adjust. In fact, while she would never admit it to anyone, she was actually glad that it happened.

True, becoming a participant in the Heaven's Feel Holy Grail War, even if it was only by accident, had put her life in mortal peril, but because of it, she gained a companion who, while showing all signs of muscle-mind stupidity, was actually a fun person to hang around with. Thanks to having Neko by her side, Kite had been able to aviate her loneliness, but it was still nice to have somehow around who she could talk to.

She knew, naturally, that the Heroic Spirit she summoned was far from a jovial and jolly idiot even though he acted like one most of the time (at least not completely), since it would certainly not have been possible for him to have conquered the world if that was all he was, but despite this fact, the caring and friendliness that exuded from him, as far as she could tell, was true and sincere.

Tyrants, after all, no matter how cruel they could be, were still human, and thus, would without a doubt have a soft side. Only heartless people would be like that, and as far as Kite could tell, the Heroic Spirit she summoned, Rider, had a big heart that matched his large stature.

Even though he was not exactly what she was expecting, Kite, while she would never say it out in the open was really happy that the man who was just like her Uncle or older brother, had become part of her life. Even her cat, Neko, while wary at first, had come to accept his presence. She, of course, had never had a brother or Uncle before, the only family she had ever known being her mother, but based from the novels she read and shows she watched, as well as her own intuition, it was probably the most appropriate description for their relationship.

Even though it had only been a few days, Kite and Alex had already formed a strong bond. The two of them may have a Contract, but Kite had never acknowledged the Master-Servant bit, and she refused to call him her Servant, preferring to call him by his real name instead.

Even if he was a Heroic Spirit, he was still a person, and thus Kite treated him as one.

Unfortunately, having close friendships also had its disadvantages.

A model student in every aspect, Kite was naturally a stud, and was always several steps ahead of her classmates when it comes to studies. Of course, there are those who are just as hardworking as her, but one advantage which the silver-haired female had over the others students, is the fact that she owns a laptop computer.

Computers, as far as Kite was concerned, is one of mankind's greatest inventions. Even though it did cost her a considerable amount of money, the convenience and usefulness of the small machine made her expenses worth it.

The small device which is just about the size of large book, is able to serve numerous functions, the one of course which Kite liked the best was its capability to access and store enormous amounts of data, which saves her a lot of time and energy, as well as space. For the information Kite had gathered for various, should they be converted in the form of printed materials, would probably occupy the entirety of a twenty story building.

Studies aside, the laptop could also be used for entertainment purposes, such as playing games.

"Hahaha! Take that, you fool!"

Which is exactly what her companion, Alex, was using it for.

_He tricked me._ It was the bitter thought that was currently whirling in her mind. Due to her obvious weakness to food and freebies, Kite, who is an expert at catching fish, had ended up taking the opposite role, and fell for the muscle-bound idiot's bait, hook, line and sinker.

Vulnerable and rather easy to manipulate when she was filled with food and content, though only if she was familiar with the person she was with, the Heroic Spirit of the Mount managed to convince Kite to let him borrow her laptop for the entire night... _again_.

Currently, Alex was busy with a modern day strategy game, which he said was necessary for someone like him who was planning to rule the world. The art of war, after all, had changed drastically through the ages due to the creation of newer and more efficient and devastating weapons, and thus the game itself, being somewhat accurate to real life inventions for warfare, was something which he found to be a must.

Naturally, Kite, who was planning to take entrance exams to college that year, was not happy. Of course, that was not the only reason. After all, her laptop, unlike others, was also quite unique in that it is actually a combination of technology and magic. Making use of the Internet, the bat familiars which she sent out to the various parts of the city for scouting purposes, constantly send the information they gather to the laptop, where it is recorded for later use and analysis.

Even though she had only been dragged to it by accident, Kite had already resolved that she would do her best as a participant, and there was absolutely no way she was going to allow herself to get killed. Besides, even though she had a strange feeling that the 'it can grant any wish' part was bogus, if the Holy Grail was indeed what it is deemed to be, then she might just be able to succeed at that one objective which she knew she could never accomplish by herself.

Right now, though, her attention was not on the prize, but rather, on the fact that Alex had once again broken her record. One by one, the Mounted Hero had been surpassing all the high scores in the games which Kite played, and she, being a gamer despite being a stud, was feeling rather bitter about it.

To be beaten by an idiot from Ancient Times, no matter how great his deeds may have been, was a heavy blow to her pride. Even though she was a fast learner, Alex, who had no knowledge about how to use the computer from the start, was now quite capable, and while he still could not learn most of the basic functions, anything which he considered relevant to his conquest, including playing computer war games, he managed to learn fairly quickly, even faster than the rate at which Kite, who prided in being a fast learner, was unable to do.

Of course, these were just petty thoughts that was crossing her mind. The real reason why she was angry was actually quite simple: she was unable to use her computer.

Her fists, clenched, her body trembling in frustration at not being able to use that which belongs to her because of her own folly, Kite was just about ready to kick her 'Uncle' on his large behind and send him flying.

In fact, had it not been for the fact that she had an excellent control over her emotions due to her attempts at copying her mother, Kite would have more likely than not already sent Alex flying.

_Still, I wonder where he got all that m- ?!..._

"Fufufu..."

Suddenly, a brilliant thought lit up in the snowy-haired female's mind, a cruel smirk forming on her lips as the idea hit her.

"Ne, Oji-san..."

"Hmmm?"

"Aren't we supposed to go out to scour the city for potential foes?" The girl asked in her usual monotonous voice.

"We'll do it tomorrow. I'm kind of busy at the moment." The King of Conquerors grunted, not even bothering to turn back his head and face his Master, his entire being entirely focused on the game he was playing.

"Would you mind if I borrow your chariot for a bit then? There are some things which I need to check out."

In response, the King of Conquerors removed one of his hands from the laptop's keyboard. A quick flash of light emanated in the room, as a sword appeared on the Heroic Spirit's outstretched hand.

"Here," the Heroic Spirit of the Mount said, as he carelessly tossed the Sword of the Kupriotes towards his summoner, who caught it with one hand, before completely turning his attention back to the game he was playing.

"Thank you," the girl stated, as she twirled the spatha around her fingers, before putting on her cap and headed for the door, her cat, Neko, jumping up on her shoulders to join her.

Once outside, the girl pulled the sword out of its scabbard and pointed it directly at the sky.

"Mew!" Knowing what as to come next, the cat with beautiful black fur jumped off Kite's shoulder and hid herself behind a crate.

"In the name of Alexander, the King of Conquerors, come forth and answer the call!"

Shouting the words which the Heroic Spirit of the Mount instructed her to use, just like the first time, Kite brought down the legendary sword, creating a rift in time and space from which a large carriage shrouded in lightning appeared: Gordius Wheel, an awe striking chariot which belonged to the King of Conqueror, pulled by two majestic bulls that were filled with power and electricity.

"Whoa, easy there... easy..." the silver-haired female whispered placatingly,as she approached the two divine beast, both of which immediately ceased emitting electricity upon recognizing her.

Gordius Wheel, a Noble Phantasm which belonged to the King of Conquerors. Normally, the symbol of a Heroic Spirit is something which only they can wield or possess. However, there are always exceptions to the general rule. And since Kite has the owner's permission, she is able to summon the Gordius Wheel.

The reason why she was able to drive the chariot, however, is not because Alex gave her permission, but because the Bulls of Heaven that pulled it, for some reason, had taken a liking to her, enough for them to obey her orders.

Had anyone else tried to pull this stunt, even if the King of Conquerors gave them permission, they would have likely been trampled upon by the Divine Beasts for daring to consider themselves worthy to mount them.

Yes, Kite was certainly one of the exceptions. However, unlike the first time, when she summoned the chariot so that she can scout the city by air, her objective this time around was actually quite different.

"Well, well," the Mounted Hero's contractor mused, as she inspected the Heroic Spirit's mount, noticing that there were strips of the decoration missing from the royal cloth that the bulls were wearing.

"So that's his secret," muttered Kite triumphantly, adjusting her cap, as Neko, who hid behind a crate while the lightning was present, resumed her position on her friend's shoulder.

"Hey Neko-chan," the silver-haired female inquired, looking kindly at the ball of fur that had stuck with her through her hardest moments, "what would you to say to having caviar and lobster for dinner?"

**xxxXXXxxx**

**One Day Later**

_Darn it... Darn it... Darn it..._

While on the outside, Kite managed to maintain her calm and cool demeanour, on the inside she was actually, seething, that her plans failed... again.

It is true that in the past few days, the bond between Kite and the Heroic Spirit she accidentally summoned had strengthened immensely. However, it is also true that in all that, said Heroic Spirit had done a number of things that greatly irritated her.

Making fun of her height when compared to his, her constant habit of drinking milk. Making snide remarks from time to time, constantly 'borrowing' her laptop to the point that she could hardly get her hands on it, taking advantage of her weaknesses, Kite had done her best to try and get some payback for it...

Yet she had never succeeded, not even once.

Since the offence which the Mounted Heroic Spirit generally fell under the category 'being annoying,' Kite naturally tried to get revenge by trying to make said Heroic Spirit angry, yet none of her attempts bore any fruit, and in fact, some of them even backfired on her in the end.

Petty insults , indirectly calling him names like 'muscle bound idiot,' 'homosexual moron,' and others, have absolutely no effect on the King of Conquerors. Of course, even Kite knew where to draw a line, not going for too low a blow related to the Heroic Spirit's history, but when it comes to verbal bashing, it was always her who ends up losing in the end. She had always been able to hide her irritation, yet each time she tries to annoy him in a conversation, he always manages to turn it around, simply because the words have no effect on him

Once, Kite tried to make herself seem superior by calling Alex a freeloader, and she thought she had finally found a weak point. She had, after all, expressly forbidden the King of Conquerors from pillaging and plundering, telling him that stealing was absolutely a no-no.

A few hours later, Kite realized just how wrong she was. As if to prove to her that he could win any battle no matter what the limitations, like banning robbery, the King of Conquerors managed to acquire a lot of money, by pawning off some strips of gold which he removed from his own chariot.

Of course, the silver-haired female tried to take advantage of this as well when she saw the possibilities. She thought that by plundering and stealing from the King of Conquerors by means of trickery would at the very least irritate the jovial fellow.

Oh how wrong she was...

"Well done, girl, well done! Looting and stealing from my own chariot no less... not to mention you're potential as a coachman... I should not have expected less from my chosen successor. I'm proud of you."

Her two-fold attempt at using the Gordius Wheel to anger the King of Conquerors ended up in failure.

Even now, when she was allowed to take the reins of the flying chariot, her _passenger_, unlike her friends back in Okinawa who screamed in terror when she drove their speeding motorboat like someone who lost her wits at one time, was instead grinning madly, the Heroic Spirit of the Mount actually enjoying experiencing her haphazard driving skills.

Though considering that she also enjoyed the ride when he was the one reining in the bulls, she realized that it should not have come as a surprise. She thought that driving the Gordius Wheel like a demon possessed would earn her some payback, yet the King of Conquerors had apparently been entertained instead. Thus, even though it was in her nature to enjoy this kind of activity, the silver-haired female was instead frustrated, wanting to mentally slap herself on the face for overlooking this particular detail.

The more she tried to annoy Alexander, the more the Mounted Heroic Spirit seemed convinced that she was indeed worthy, not just to stand by his side, but also to take his place.

The only comforting part if that unlike the King of Conquerors, who had to pull on the reigns, all Kite had to do was to talk to the bulls and they would obey her. For some reason, the Heavenly Beasts seemed to like her even more than they do their true master.

"Conquering the world, huh—sorry but as I think I already told you, I'm not interested." Kite told her companion in an indifferent tone.

At this, the King of Conquerors raised an eyebrow. "You play and use your time acquiring all those conquest games yet you say you're not interested in world domination?"

"Of course not. I want to save the world, not conquer it." The silver-haired female replied, no longer able to hide the irritation in her voice, as she once again adjusted her cap so that it hid half of her face.

"What exactly do you mean by 'save the world'?"

"A utopia. A world where there is no more pain and suffering, a world where everyone would be happy. That, Alex, is my definition of a world that has been saved."

"An ambitious goal, indeed, even greater than the one I have. But then, you do know that's impossible, right Master?"

"By myself, perhaps, but with the power of the Grail..."

"It still won't be possible. Look, I think you should..."

"Enough. I do not wish to discuss this issue any further."

"..."

An eerie silence followed, as the two of them, Contractor and Heroic Spirit, continued to observe the City from the Gordius Wheel, which was currently resting on top of the Fuyuki City Bridge.

Forgetting about her petty thoughts of vengeance against the King of Conquerors, Kite recalled the main reason why she agreed to risk her life and participate in the Holy Grail War in the first place.

To save the world. If Kite were to be honest with herself, she knew, deep down, that this wish was one which was impossible. It is impossible to save everyone, even she had enough common sense to know that. No matter how much one would want it, this particular ideal, would only remain as that... an ideal.

Kite is not that naive. She knew that to wish for everyone to be happy was impossible to grant. However...

She had no other choice, but to deceive herself into believing that is was possible.

She was not an idealistic fool, and in fact, it was her nature to be selfish and self-centered, caring only for a few others. And yet, she had been blindly following this fact, for it was the one and only way she knew, for her true wish to be granted, which is why she will keep being optimistic, and continuing believing that it was possible.

For it was the only way she had, to free _her _from her burden.

Though perhaps, with the power of the Holy Grail, it just might come true.

"Hey, Kite."

"Yes?"

"It seems they are about to begin." The King of Conquerors stated nonchalantly, and Kite knew that he was talking about the two Heroic Spirits who were currently in the harbour area near Mion River, though thankfully it was on the other side of the river, not on the side where her apartment was located.

Instinctively, Kite tightened her grip on her trusty fishing rod that was given to her by a close friend.

To save her mother, that was the one true desire which Kite held in her heart.

Now there was a way to achieve it.

There was no way Kite would miss out on such an opportunity.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

So now I've finished cleaning up chapter one as best as I could, and unlike the prologue, it's only got a few minor changes.

Now, to those who had read the first version of this story, you will find that there are very few differences, save for the fact that unlike the first one, I have not yet thought up of a possible end for this story. See, while I don't have a problem with that, I noticed that it was still hardly any different from canonical scenes. Most Fate Zero fanfics are usually made to have an end that will allow it to be used as a stepping stone for a fifth Holy Grail War sequel. Well, I might do just that, or I might not.

All things considered, when I'm writing while trying to think of a way to make sure a fifth heaven's feel would reasonable fit, it hinders me greatly, and the chance of me getting to writer's block is very high, so I'll just keep going as the ball rolls without trying to think about a possible sequel (which I might not write anyway.).

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, nor do I own any of the anime and book references I use, and I'm only writing this for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Battle Royal: Part 1**

The Heaven's Feel Holy Grail War, a war that is fought between seven Masters and their seven Servants for the ultimate prize of the Holy Grail, was at the very least, in a silver-haired female's opinion, up to standards, at least in part.

True, the conflict may be small-scale compared to a real war, and thus did not qualify to called as such, but the ones involved, particularly the Heroic Spirits, were living up to their reputation as legends.

The blood in her veins were throbbing, and while she was by nature a peaceful person, Kite also possessed a competitive spirit. Whenever she is confronted by potential foes and rivals of the highest calibre, she could not help but feel excited. And the two Heroic Spirits, Saber and Lancer, would definitely have piqued her interest...

As steel clashed against steel, sword clashed against spears, Kite had to admit that the two being in battle, had they been born in the modern era, would have been among the cream of the crop, the strongest of the strong.

With her eyes which she can reinforce so that they become similar to that of a hawk's, the silver-haired female had a clear view of the fight, even in the distance. She could have used the vision of her familiars of course, but doing so in the middle of the night in the middle of a secret war out in the open was not exactly a smart move. She may be sitting on a chariot, with the King of Conquerors by her side, but it is still better if she did not have her consciousness leave her body just in case.

Of course, there was the other option of using her laptop... if it weren't for the fact that Rider 'forgot' to plug it in and charge it, rendering said device useless.

Still, this was nothing but a trivial matter. Even if her notebook computer was out of power, her bat familiars which were watching the battle could still record everything, and thus she could just view the replays of the battle for later.

The battle, which had already started out intense, was becoming more so with every second that passed, their skill and prowess in their weapons of choice becoming more and more evident. By now, they had begun to move so fast that even Kite, with all her experience, could hardly keep up with them.

_The number of people I know who could keep up with them, I could count on one finger._

Power, speed, battle instinct, skills of the highest calibre. There was no doubt in her mind that these two were formidable foes that would not be defeated easily.

Such a spectacle, would have had even someone like Kite awestruck...

If it wasn't for the fact that there was something, which she just couldn't put a finger on, that made her feel very uneasy.

"That woman, Saber's Master, she looks just like you."

"..."

And as if reading Kite's mind, the Heroic Spirit of the Mount is able to notice when there is a shift in his Contractor's mood.

However, he was not always correct with his assumptions.

"No, it's not that, Rider," The silver-haired female replied, trying to keep her voice monotonous, yet a hint of worry could be noticed in it. The two of them, after all, had agreed that they would call each other by their official Grail War address whenever they are in operation, one such operation starting the moment the two Heroic Spirits by the harbour began engaging each other in combat."It's just that I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen."

Yes, it is true that she was somewhat thrown off balance when her gaze landed on the woman who is the Master of Saber. With her silver hair, ruby-red eyes, and pale complexion, the two of them looked so identical that they could pass off as twins or clones, the only difference between them is their age.

However, her surprise was not by much, due to the fact that while she had not yet seen an Einzbern in person, she had already heard about them and what they look like, thanks to her rather effective modes of espionage.

The Holy Grail, whenever it summons Servants to fight in the war, has been designed to provide information about the current era to the Heroes that are summoned so that they would not suffer from culture shock and could thus perform effectively. Information on the language, on technology, government, housing etc, the basics to integrating with the society, is provided by the wishing machine, as well as the basic information about the Grail and the Holy Grail War, which include the identity of the three founding families and the location of the mediator.

Thus, with these important details that she got from the King of Conquerors, Kite naturally sent familiars towards these locations, spying and collecting information on their potential enemies. So far, she had been unsuccessful in infiltrating the Tohsaka and Matou residences, caused by the spells around them that immediately disintegrates anything foreign, but she had somehow managed to have one of her familiars gain entry to the church, which is why Kite knew that the mediator of the War is working with Tohsaka, that Assassin's supposed death by Archer's swords was nothing but a farce, as well as the specific defining features of an Einzbern homunculus, which was among the details mentioned during the conversations.

"..." An eerie silence passed between them, as the large man and the much smaller female looked at each other straight in the eyes. Then...

"Are you an idiot? We're at war. Of course something bad's going to happen... but it will be to our enemies, not to us..."

"..."

Another few moment of silence paased. However, instead of one that was filled with tenseness and anxiety, this one was caused by incredulity, at the fact that...

_I can't believe I was just called an idiot by an idiot!_ the silver-haired female exclaimed in her thoughts.

"Tch."

Still, as she watched her companion raise himself to his full height, chest puffed out in confidence, the girl with snowy hair could not help but snicker.

"Thank you, Oji-san." The silver-haired female whispered as she regained control of herself, forgetting their agreement to stay 'professional,' feeling better after hearing the man's ludicrous words.

The King of Conquerors grinned in response. "No problem, lassie. Now, I believe that... ?!"

Suddenly, he fell quiet, his face clearly showing his concern as he turned his attention back towards the ongoing battle.

And as he did so, so did Kite, the both of them noticing a shift in the air.

It is true that the skills and prowess shown by the two Knight Class Heroic Spirits was indeed impressive. However, while it may not be apparent to most eyes, it was obvious to Alexander and Kite that the two , despite all the destruction that their clash caused, were merely testing the waters, and had thus been holding back.

Now though, it seems that one of them, the Heroic Spirit Lancer, had become serious. Instead of having two spears in hand, now he only had one, and unlike before, it was no longer wrapped in a cloth, which was probably there to suppress its abilities.

A Noble Phantasm, after all, is the symbol of a Heroic Spirit, and once it is recognized, it is easy to discern the identity of the one who wields it. Lancer's red spear was without a doubt his Noble Phantasm, and now he has just revealed what it was capable of, managing to wound Saber by rendering the armour around her useless.

"That spear, it seems to be able to negate anything made out of magic."

Yes, the red spear had been able to do exactly that.

Kite, in reality, was just a novice when it comes to the world of magecraft.

Her mother, in truth, taught her a few spells, all of which, as Kite now realized, were meant to protect her. Hypnotism, healing spells, creating familiars, Reinforcement, were among the things that she had been taught, some of which she taught to her personally, whereas the others Kite learned from the notes her mother left behind.

However, in all that time, the term magecraft was not one which her mother would use often, and she would usually simply call it magic.

Even the notes her mother left behind only contained the technical details to spells, and none of the magus principles and traditions, which she had learned recently from the knowledge she got from Alexander and the information her familiars gathered, was included.

Not used to using the proper magus terms to use, however, did not in any way lessen Kite's ability to recognize if an object was made of magic or not, even in the distance. And the armour Saber was wearing, seemed to be made purely out of magic.

"She's going to get killed."

Which is why Kite, for some reason was certain that the girl who had been summoned under the Saber Class, was going to die.

True, with the healing ability Heroic Spirits have been blessed with, as well as the effective healing magecraft support Saber had, only a wound on something vital would have any real significance.

However...

"His other spear..." Kite muttered.

"So you noticed it as well, eh?" The King of Conquerors stated. Apparently, the Contractor and the Heroic Spirit were thinking along the same lines.

Killing Saber with the red spear, as far as Kite could tell, was not the Servant of the Lance's true plot. It is true, without a doubt, that the longer of his two weapons was Lancer's Noble Phantasm.

However, the fact that both his spears had been sealed in the same way meant that more likely than not, the other spear was also a Noble Phantasm, or at least, had some sort of hidden ability that could shift the balance in the user's favour.

And apparently, from the frontal charge she intended to make, the Servant of the Sword must have overlooked the fact that Lancer's other spear, was sealed in the same way as his red one... and unnoticed by the Knight of the Sword, it was conveniently lying on the ground in front of Lancer, its tip discreetly pointing in her direction.

Less than a second later, the predicted disaster came, and while the extent of injuries was not fatal, the advantage that Lancer gained from the exchange was decisive. His identity, as it turned out, was Diarmuid of the Love Spot, and the yellow spear he owned was one which dealt cursed wounds that would never heal.

Having injured one of Saber's fingers, which was critical for a swordsman, if the fight dragged on, it was obvious which one of the two would turn out to be the victor. There was of course, the possibility that the Servant of the Sword still had an ace or two she had not yet revealed. A battle between warriors of equal footing and calibre, after all, could shift at any time, but as far as Kite's assessment is concerned, she was probably done for.

"Damn. This is bad." The King of Conquerors muttered, his voice containing concern, undoubtedly having the same opinion as her.

"What now?" Kite inquired, knowing that Alexander was worried, not at the fact that a participant of the Grail War was about to be vanquished, but because if one of the two died, as it seemed to be the case, it would certainly put a dent in whatever the Heroic Spirit of the Mount was planning.

Truth be told, Kite had no intention of entering the battlefield that was the area near the riverside warehouses. She was content on merely being an observer, at least for now. After all, it was an advantage for them to know about their enemies while their enemies do not know about them.

Kite may be a person with a competitive spirit, but her instinct was telling her that it would be better for them not to reveal themselves just yet, and just continue to gather more information.

From the look on the face of the King of Conquerors, however, she could tell that the tall muscular man had a different opinion on the matter. And Kite had to grudgingly admit, that Alexander the Great, for some reason she could not understand, had the tendency to make stupid decisions that surprisingly work out in the end, even better than her own sophisticated plans.

Victory without ruin, domination without disgrace, these are the words which Alexander had used to describe his method, when their usual daily conversations diverted to the man's reign as the King of Macedonia. A tyrant who values friendship above all else, preferring to conquer people by means of persuasion, not fear, he was a person who Kite, while she would never say it openly, had come to respect and even admire.

For from the way the man talked, he considered his subjects and the people of his kingdom, less as people who are below him, but more as equals, as friends, as comrades, as family.

"I wanted to wait out on the battle's development before everyone arrives, but by the look of the current situation Saber's going to have a disadvantage and it will be too late to attack by then."

"What should we do then?" Kite repeated her question. It was not common for her to ask other people's opinion on such critical matters, having made all the decisions in the past few years, but for some reason, she had come to trust the King of Conqueror's unique way of judging things.

She knew that it also goes the other way around, and that Alexander would probably respect her opinion as well should she voice it out. However, she decided to keep the piece to herself. She was not sure exactly what the King of Conquerors was planning, but this time, Kite decided that she would let him have his way.

"...Saber and Lancer. They both have the flaming spirit of true warriors. I admire them. It would be a pity to let them die like this."

The Heroic Spirit of the Mount removed his attention away from the ongoing battle for a moment, turning his head side wards, locking eyes with his silver-haired contractor, as he told her his intent.

"Observation is over. It is time for us to join the battle." Rider declared, before pulling on the reigns of the Gordius Wheel, the Contractor and Heroic Spirit seated on the famed Noble Phantasm flying towards the area of strife. Unlike usual, however, when the chariot was made to glide swiftly and silently for observation purposes, it was instead emitting a thunderous roar as they continued towards their destination in a surge of electricity.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Both of you put down your arms. A King comes!"

With the great speed the Gordius Wheel possessed, the flight from the Fuyuki City Bridge to the warehouses lasted only for a few seconds.

While it was true that she preferred to be discreet due to its many advantages, she did not have anything against being a bit showy either, and while she was neither loud nor boisterous, Kite, admittedly, was approving of methods which could be considered as 'stylish.'

And truly, the flashy entrance they made was something that she quietly approved of. Intimidating the enemy by riding forth into the fray in a lightning-encased bull-driven chariot, having quite a bit of historical knowledge, Kite could guess exactly what the two Heroic Spirits whose duel they interrupted, as well as their Masters, along with all the others who were watching, were probably thinking.

If she were to hazard a guess, they were probably nervous, thinking that it was the highest god of Olympus that they were facing. And if they thought that the Mounted Heroic Spirit was Zeus... they could certainly use that to their advantage.

"My name is Alexander, King of Conquerors. I am participating in this Holy Grail War and received the class of Rider."

The schemes that were forming in her mind though, were immediately shattered, the moment the King of Conquerors opened his mouth to speak his second sentence.

A mouth which, in Kite's opinion, was too big for his own good.

Yes, it is true that Kite trusted her comrade, to the point that she could tolerate his somehow strange and annoying methods, partly due to the fact that even she found them hard to comprehend. And if she found them hard to comprehend, the same would go for others.

To reveal one's identity so openly, after all the plotting and conversations they had about keeping it a secret, really got on her nerves. If they did not have such conversations, then perhaps she might not have been this angry. But the fact that they wasted all those times 'planning' when it would just come down to this... Kite was finding it difficult to fight the urge to smack herself in the face.

Since she was wearing a cap no one would notice the vein that was popping on her forehead. The truth though, is that she actually had a half-mind to kick the King of Conquerors off the chariot.

Still, she decided to leave it be, and kept her emotions in check, her face covered by her cap, quietly observing the reactions of the other Grail War participants to the ridiculous ploy that had been initiated. The fact that the others present in the vicinity were left dumbstruck by the declaration was something which Kite had to admit, was enough of a consolation, and her momentary anger immediately began to fade.

The looks on their faces when the King of Conquerors just boldly and proudly (stupidly) declared his identity was something which she found to be quite amusing.

_Besides, it's not like I'm one to talk,_ thought the silver-haired female to herself. While it was true that she did indeed enjoy riding on the Gordius Wheel, she knew that it would have been better if she had not been on it, as it would have kept her existence unknown.

Perhaps, if it had been a few days before, the thought of joining the King of Conquerors for a ride at this time was something she would never do. But then, that was what she would have done a few days ago, not as of present.

_Darn it, I can't believe his habits are started to rub off on me,_ thought Kite with a sigh. While she was truly a cheerful person by nature, even though she had great control of her emotions, she had never been this reckless, which meant that the man who she saw like a parent figure was indeed having quite an influence on her.

Still, even though living under the same roof as Alexander made her loosen up a bit, she still had not lost her air of caution. She may have joined the King of Conquerors on this ride, but she still had enough sense not to draw too much attention on herself. She knew her attempts would be normally futile since she was in the center of things, but she still tried. In fact, the spell she currently employing is one which works as exactly that, one which would make people ignore and overlook her even if they were staring straight at her.

Though considering who it was she was currently riding with, the vast difference in their size, and his boisterous attitude, her spell might not even have been necessary.

"I have descended upon the battlefield, so do you have any intention to pass the Holy Grail to me? If you forfeit your claims to the Grail, I would regard you as friends, and share with you the joy of conquering the world."

The more words came out of her companion's mouth, the more attention he garnered from the onlookers and listeners, and thus, with their focus on him, Kite was able to literally hide in plain sight, at least for the time being. Still, that would only be possible if she could keep a cool head and not do anything that could instead divert their attention towards her... like kicking the King of Conquerors off of his chariot.

"I admire your boldness in declaring your identity just then, yet... I found it hard to agree to your proposals."

"I will lift up the Grail; that is the oath I took with the only new king of this era. The one that will hold the Grail in his hands will not be you, Rider."

"...Did you stop my duel with Lancer just to declare all those nonsense?"

"Your joke was overdone, King of Conquerors. This is unbearable humiliation to a knight."

Unsurprisingly, neither of the two Heroic Spirits to whom Alexander extended his hand to accepted his proposal. While Kite had to admit that it would be convenient to at least form an alliance with one of them, with the kind of approach they used, the answer they would give was glaringly obvious.

"... Are you offering terms to me?"

Though instead of getting discouraged, the King of Conquerors did not seem to be fazed, and from the look on his face, Kite could tell that he was still sure of himself, confident in his convincing power.

To sway the hearts of people, this was without a doubt one of the talents that The King of Conquerors possessed. He has charisma, a leadership-related ability, as one of his skills, which is ranked A, yet Kite, who had been around him for enough time, knew that the two were not directly related.

His words, the way he spoke, his bluntness and the aura of confidence and friendliness he exudes, all of the traits that make up his character as person made it rather easy for him to mingle with other people and gain their respect and friendship.

"Enough!"

And apparently, it seems as if Saber and Lancer also noticed this fact, and in effect, and were determinedly doing their best not to let him sway them.

"Besides... I am also that lord that rules the kingdom of Britain. No matter what kind of a king one is, he can never bow before another lord."

"Oh? The King of Britain?"

The King of Conquerors showed interest in Saber's declarations and raised his eyebrows. Still, it was not really that much of a surprise. Kite remembered only too well, how Alexander greedily read up the information on other leaders, his interest somewhat focused on the leaders of China, America and Russia, which are the most powerful country of present day.

"How surprising. The renowned King of Knights is actually a young girl."

"And would you like to try the blade of that young girl, King of Conquerors?"

Kite watched as the King of Knights lifted her sword in a stance of complete defiance pointing it at her companion.

?!

That was when it happened.

"My... breakdown of negotiations, is it. What a waste, that's too bad." The King of Conquerors was saying in a disappointed voice, but Kite's attention was on something else.

A vision. In truth, for as long as Kite could remember, she had always been having them. Most of the time they were just flashes, barely discernable. But sometimes, the visions she had were clear, vivid, so much so that she could almost feel it, as if she herself had been there.

And right now, another such vision has visited her, one which could not even be considered a dream. Although in the real world it lasted for only a few seconds, it could only be considered a nightmare.

_A noble black giant struggling to break free from the evil substance that was pulling it down, trying to charge at the evil figure in its desperate to protect - someone..._

_A female swordsman in black armour, her eyes covered by a visor, a corrupted Holy Sword held in her hands, the same stance the Servant of the Sword was using, bringing it downwards... A powerful blast of dark energy emitting from it, destroying the mad warrior Berserker._

?!

Kite felt something large grip her gently on her shoulder. Looking to her left, she saw that the hand of the King of Conquerors was placed on it.

Alexander, it seemed, was aware of how she was feeling, and had, ironically, made a move to prevent her from doing something stupid.

However, it was not enough to placate the fury and frustration that had built up inside her.

Kite, in truth, was actually very similar to the King of Macedonia in so many ways. Just like Alexander, she too, valued bonds above all else. The two of them may have their own goals and objectives, but when it comes right down to it, to both of them, tyrant and ordinary school girl, friends and family were the greatest treasure of all.

Which is why...

"Oi, Kite, what's gotten in..." The King of Conquerors began, but was unable to finish what he saying.

With one swift movement, Kite wrenched herself free from the muscular man's grasp, jumping in a graceful arc up into the air, before falling to earth with just as much poise...

As she brought down her fishing rod upon an astonished Saber, who barely managed to defend herself from the strike...

Sparks flew in the air. The sound of metal clashing against metal once again resounded in the battlefield, as a cap was blown off by the howling wind created by the collision.

A small crater formed beneath the female swordsman upon receiving a powerful blow that made the ground tremble, made even stronger by the force of gravity behind it.

"Your blade... I would like to try it out," Kite declared, hair that was previously hidden by her head gear floating freely in the wind, as her piercing red eyes locked upon her opponent's emerald green pair.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

Alright, after some very slight editing I'm posting chapter two. Now, as I'm sure you've noticed, this story is typically told from a mixture of the first person and third person point of view, though it is told mostly from the perspective of the main character.

Kite will enter her first battle in the next chapter, and to those who have not yet read the original version, I hope you find it interesting.

By, the way, below is the stats of Servant Rider.

Servant: Rider

True Name: Iskander/ Alexander the Great

Master: Hisau Keito aka Kite

Alignment: Neutral Good

Strength: B

Endurance: A

Agility: C

Mana: A

Luck: A+

As for the rest of the stats, like I said, you can look it up at the wiki. The only stats which significantly changed is Rider's mana, though that is to be expected, given who his Master is.

By this point I'm sure some of you now have fairly good idea of who Kite is, and well, if you read my other fics, it would be even more obvious. Yes, that's right, I'm attempting to make a nice little fic involving my favourite Type-Moon character, and so far this one's functioning best among them all, and once I'm done refurnishing the existing chapters, I'm going to start with the next one, though it will probably be an interlude.

But enough about that for now...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, nor do I own any of the anime and book references I use, and I'm only writing this for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Battle Royal: Part 2**

The docks, the warehouse area by the harbour, is the place where the first true skirmishes of the Fourth Heaven's Feel were occurring.

The brief pause lasted for only a few minutes, before sparks started flying and the conflict once again resumed.

Howling winds, further destruction of the already destroyed surroundings was wrought about as the battle recommenced.

In the centre of that storm, trading blow for blow, where two combatants, and it was clear just who it was who had the advantage. Still, it was an advantage that the adversary did not seem to be able to exploit fully.

Saber, the Servant of the Sword, despite being injured from her previous engagement with Lancer, was managing to hold her own, and despite her opponent's determined onslaught, just like an impregnable castle, no matter how powerful the wind is, it simply could not break through the walls.

But then... neither was she able to counterattack effectively.

The injury inflicted upon her by Lancer, was technically non-life threatening. Even though it could not be healed, the wound was small and in fact, had already stopped bleeding. Even if there was some pain from it, it would have been negligible...

If not for the fact that said injury included a severed a nerve on one of her fingers, and to a sword wielder like the King of Knights, it was a sore handicap.

The strength in her blows decreased, her ability to manoeuvre her blade effectively limited, it wasn't surprising that Saber, if faced by an opponent who is just about on the same level of skill as her in melee combat, would be mostly on the defensive.

Her injury, however, was not the only thing that was holding the King of Knights back from performing to the best of her capability.

"Just who are you?!"

Arturia knew that the question she asked was a foolish one. While she was a straightforward fighter, even Saber acknowledged that keeping aces up one's sleeves, as well as keeping one's identity hidden from the enemy a secret, was vital. Thus, she was not surprised when another strike heading for her throat was the response she received.

But then, she could not help it.

Killing intent, enemies radiating with hostility was something which the Servant of the Sword was used to. After all, she is King Arthur, the Once and Future King of England, and had been, during her reign, faced with mortal peril countless times, from war campaigns, assassination attempts, and even the sport of time known as jousting, which has been used time and again by her enemies as an excuse to kill her without getting charged with treason.

The hostile intent that was being directed at her by her opponent, however, was not one which she could be considered as normal.

The murderous aura which radiated from Lancer was, Saber had to admit, impressive. Just like the mighty warriors who Arturia had duelled against during her lifetime, the intent of the Heroic Spirit Diarmuid was clear, and while he was an honourable fighter, there was no doubt that the end result he desired was for Saber to die by his hand, and as he stated bluntly, place her severed head on a pike before presenting it to his Master.

Lancer's murderous intent, however, did not hold any loathing against Saber, and was simply a desire to kill that was borne out of a mixture of the spearman's loyalty for his Master and his personal love for combat.

The killing intent from Arturia's present opponent, however, was one which held hatred.

It is true that there were many who hated Arturia and cursed her to the high heavens, wishing that she receive the worst end possible. However, she was King, and since they were enemies, for whatever reasons, it was only natural that many of her foes would hate her.

But for someone who Arturia could not have possibly known in life to hold such a grudge against her, subtle though it was, was something she never expected.

Not to mention the fact that said person...

Looked identical to her acting Master.

Even though she could not see it, forced by her opponent to have her entire attention, Arturia could tell that the others in the vicinity were having similar thoughts as her. And if she was guessing correctly, it was her proxy Master, Irisviel, who is probably the one who is most affected.

Her hair white as snow, her eyes gem-like red pupils, the two were strikingly identical. Most members of the Einzbern family, as far as Saber had seen, had these exact same features, yet the girl in front of her looked so much like Irisiviel that Arturia felt as if she was looking at a mirror-image, who could be mistaken as her acting Master's younger sister.

At the back of her mind, one particular question, which branches out to many others, was still continuously whispering in her ear... The same question which she had just asked yet was not given an answer.

_Who exactly is she?_

Still, despite these thoughts whirling in her head Saber decided to ignore them, and instead focused on the fact that the mystery person was an enemy that she was currently engaging.

A Master in the Holy Grail War. From a warrior's point of view, based from the knowledge given by the Grail, Saber had to admit that she was impressed. A Master, after all, despite being magi, were typically no match for Servants, who themselves were embodiments of legends, of the greatest heights that has been reached.

Arturia herself, while she believed herself to be a failure as a King, held some pride for the excellent handling of the sword. Very few had ever been able to match her when using the same weapon, as well as in melee combat.

And yet... this girl, who was not even a Servant, was pushing her back.

Wielding nothing but a fishing pole as her weapon, using it in the same way as one would use a spear or stick in battle,

Arturia's unnamed challenger was pushing her to the limits, forcing her to fight back using every ounce of strength which she had.

But then, if this was her weapon of choice, then even a humble fishing rod, in the hands of one who has trained hard with it, she was as formidable as any warrior wielding different weaponry.

Arturia may have been injured, but her instinct, which had kept her alive throughout the years, was telling her that even if she been in full health, even though she was certain she would win, it would still have been a hard fought battle.

?!

One of her opponent's legs getting stuck on a hole in the asphalt, Saber immediate took advantage of the opening.

?!

A reverberating sound echoed in the area, which to the King of Knights, was a sound signifying her victory. True, her horizontal strike did not slice her opponent's abdomen as she intended, but the second part of her scheme was a success.

Knowing her opponent has lost her balance, the Servant of the Sword's true aim was accomplished by taking advantage of it, which happened to be to disarm the silver-haired warrior.

With a soft metallic sound, the girl's fishing pole fell some meters away and landed... right behind the King of Knights, ensuring that she would not be able to retrieve it.

A stricken look appeared on the albino's face, her eyes widening in surprise, upon realizing that she was without her main line of defense. In her panicked state, she tried to pull away, but her left foot was still stuck in the asphalt.

Seeing an opening, the King of Knights lunged forward.

_This is the end,_ thought the King of Knights, as she swung her Invisible Sword in a vertical arch at her opponent, intending to slice her clean off. Even though the King of Knights was curious to know who she was, her instinct was screaming at her that if she did not end this girl here and now, it would only complicate things in the future.

The fight was over.

?!

Or so Saber thought...

"Whaa..."

For a moment, the Servant of the Sword could not help but feel dumbfounded.

Yes, it is true that Saber was somehow surprised to find that she was facing an opponent who made use of a fishing pole as a weapon. However, skilled though the girl was, her use of the weapon was similar to that of a stick, or lance or spear, and while there were many variations, Arturia, in her lifetime, had encountered countless skilled warriors who make use of long weapon-based styles with a similar foundations.

However...

Never in her life had she encountered an opponent who could block a sword barehanded.

The girl's two hands were on Arturia's invisible blade, clasped as if in prayer, while the knee of her left leg, which was supposed to be trapped in the concrete, was currently in contact with the hilt , preventing it from advancing any further.

"Tch."

A chill ran up the spine of the King of Knight's, as a small, barely noticeable smirk formed on her opponent's lips.

Trusting the instinct that had kept her alive for many years through countless battlefields, Saber tried to pull back but found that she could not.

The albino's grip on Saber's invisible blade was vice like, an iron clad hold that even the King of Knights, with her high rank strength, could not pull away. Perhaps if she had not been injured she would have enough strength to do so, but even then, for the girl to be holding on to her blade despite the King of Knight's limited power was already astounding in itself... not to mention, that it was difficult to block an invisible blade, even with a sword and not using bare hands.

Realizing that they were currently almost equal in strength, Saber, putting power into her legs, jumped backwards , while holding on tightly to her sword, to break the stalemate.

?!

Only for her to _trip_ as she did so.

"What trickery is this?" Arturia snarled, as she found herself falling to the ground with her head facing upwards.

For a moment, the King of Knights was angry and confused, unable to comprehend how she, of all people, could have failed such a simple jump. Her sense of balance after all, was excellent, so much so that even if she did miss a beat, it would have been an easy task for her to manoeuvre herself even while in mid-air.

And then, in the next moment, she realized it.

_A trap._

"You fell for it, Saber." The silver-haired albino stated with a smirk, throwing way the Invisible Sword which she had plucked from the King of Knight's hand to the side, before she started walking in an almost leisurely manner towards the spot where her fishing pole was located and casually picked it up, reattaching something to it.

Even though the girl Saber was facing looked so much like her acting Master, the two of them were truly different people: other than their looks, they have absolutely nothing in common.

For starters, while Irisviel's eyes had loving warmth in them, this person's eyes, while the same in every way, was different, as they held nothing but cold contempt, almost as if they could freeze anything they look at with a mere glance.

And now she was looking at Saber in the same way that a predator would stare down at her prey.

"Your inability to move... it was all an act, wasn't it?" The statement may have been a question, yet there was no inquiring note in Saber's voice, her teeth gritted in frustration, already aware of the answer to the question she just asked.

At this, the silver-haired female's small smirk grew slightly wider, a look which wordlessly meant yes.

In a span of time that lasted less than a second, the King of Knights realized the series of blunders which she had made.

The first one, was her mistake in assuming that her opponent could not move.

The second one, was assuming that her opponent was defenceless without her rod.

To sum it up, Arturia's one great mistake was the fact that she became overconfident. Her arrogance lasted for barely a second, yet it had cost her dearly.

And now, she was the one with no means of escape, no means of defending herself, both her hands and legs locked together and rendered useless...by fishing lines.

A fishing rod, based from some random general information about it which conveniently provided by the Grail, usually comes with a reel after all, and the Servant of the Sword failed to realize that the reel, which had been attached to the girl's fishing gear, which Saber's opponent was currently holding in her hands, was conveniently missing during the clash that sent the rod flying. In other words...

It was all part of her plan.

Now, fishing lines, whatever material they are made of with the exception of a rare few, would normally be unable to hold a Servant in place. No matter how tough they are, a Heroic Spirit would be able to break free from as if it were non-existent.

Yet Saber found that she could not, for the wires that were wrapped around her... were flowing with mana, making them tough and durable even against a supernatural being like her.

If only she had the option to turn into Spirit Form, she might have been able to escape.

Unfortunately, due to her unique circumstances, the King of Knights does not have that particular ability.

"It is fine to assume that the Master's role is to support the battle from the back. However there are always exceptions. There are Masters with the ability to fight head on."

Truly it was a bold claim to make, to say that a mere magus could match heroes of legend in battle...

And yet, in the midst of this Grail War, the one who made the declaration had concrete proof, one the King of Knights experienced first-hand... the girl herself.

With Saber's body wrapped in fishing lines, her sword effectively out of her reach, having been thrown to the side, the King of Knights found herself helpless, and could do nothing but watch, as the silver-haired female towered over her, her cold crimson eyes with a glint of malice in them, holding the fishing pole in her hands, the tip of which, as the King of Knights realized, was sharp and pointed that it could truly serve as a spear to pierce through her.

Even though Saber's armour covered her body, there was one part where she could be killed that did not have any protection...

Her head.

"Die," the silver-haired female stated monotonously, as she brought her weapon down.

For a moment which lasted less than a hundredth of a second, the King of Knights had been certain that she had failed, that this was the end of her, and that she had to wait for another Grail War to occur so that she could have the opportunity to acquire it and grant her wish.

?

The rod, however, which Arturia thought would pierce through her head, came to a halt, stopping about an inch from the King of Knight's face.

"What do you think you're doing?" Saber heard the girl's near-monotonous voice state with a hint of irritation. Apparently, someone did something to stop her from running the Servant of the Sword thought.

But who could have done it? This was the question that immediately popped into Arturia's head, a question which was almost immediately afterwards, as she looked up and saw a large figure behind the girl, who had one of his hands on her shoulder, while the other was on her raised arm, preventing the girl from bringing it down.

And then Saber's eyes widened with surprise, as she realized just who it was who saved her life.

"I think that should be enough for now. After all, you've already gotten your point across... don't you think so, Master?"

It was Rider, the King of Conquerors.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"I think that should be enough for now," the Heroic Spirit of the Mount began, wearing a jovial smile which did not falter even as he stared at the cold, hate-filled expression on the face of the girl who summoned him. "After all, you' ve already gotten your point across... don't you think so, Master?"

It was a rather strange sight which was greeting the eyes of the King of Knights. One moment, she was about to die, to be skewered, by a fishing pole of all things.

Before it could pierce her, however, she was saved, her life prevented from being forfeit, by the Servant of the Master who defeated her.

Truly, this pair was an oddity in the eyes of Saber, who could no longer understand just what was happening.

The girl who defeated the Servant of the Sword, however, understood perfectly well, and she was not happy about it.

Ever since Kite had accidentally summoned the King of Conquerors, Kite had rarely ever addressed called the man Servant, due to the fact that she never acknowledged herself to be his Master, but simply his Contractor, the person who is helping him to continue existing in the plane of the living, and had since been accustomed to calling him Oji-san.

Now, though, Kite believed that this time, she would have to exercise that particular authority.

"And what, pray tell, made you think you could dictate my actions? I am your Master, Servant. You have no right to tell me what to do."

"..."

Yes, that was the truth after all. No matter how much one used flowery words or titles, a Servant, technically, as the title states, is nothing but an over glorified slave. No matter how powerful they are or how great their legends, they are nothing but weapons, tools, which magi summon to aid them in acquiring the Holy Grail.

But Kite had never once thought nor acknowledged the King of Conquerors as her Servant.

_What the hell am I doing?_

In truth, she was actually feeling a pang of guilt at the way she berated her companion, yet the hatred in heart was overwhelming that she barely noticed it, pushed to a corner of her soul that she hardly considered it to be relevant at the moment.

Even though in reality, Kite does not really understand why she was feeling this way...

Dreams and reality, they are two separate things. Even to someone who believes in and knows the existence of magic, this is an undeniable fact.

Yet for some reason, some of Kite's dreams did not seem like dreams at all.

True, she could not feel it physically, yet the emotions, the feelings involved, felt so real, so concrete...emotions that seem to belong to Kite.

No, the emotions do not seem to belong to her... they _do _belong to her.

_..._

_A black giant who was insane yet cared for her as if he were his daughter._

_A woman clad in black armour, cruelly and mercilessly ending the life of the black giant._

_The woman clad in black, taking away someone precious to her._

_..._

_Unforgiveable..._

_Unforgiveable..._

_Unforgiveable!_

Even though Kite seemed to have been able to keep her cool, that was only on the outside. For on the inside, she was seething in fury, at the mere sight of the being who was strikingly identical to the one who murdered one of her precious people, even if it was just a dream.

Dreams and reality, Kite sometimes had trouble separating both.

But then, whether it was a dream or not, the being in front of her, who was somewhat different yet identical to the one in her dream, had raised her sword threateningly at the King of Conquerors, intending to do something similar to what her dream version had done.

The days they had spent together may have been short, but Kite already considered Alexander as an Uncle, as one of her precious people.

Suddenly, another flash of thoughts entered the silver-haired female's mind, although this time, she knew fully well that it was neither dream nor vision, but a memory.

_..._

_A girl with chestnut brown hair and similarly colored eyes, wearing a kimono, lying on the ground on a pool of her own blood, with a fatal wound on her chest, one which was too severe for Kite's powers to heal._

_A girl, who, in her dying moments, cared more for Kite's safety than her own well being._

_A girl who died because Kite hesitated and refused to take action._

_The girl, who is Kite's best friend._

_..._

Yes, that was exactly it.

Anyone who would try to hurt those who she cared for, regardless of motive, be it noble or not, Kite considered as her enemy.

Anyone who would try to hurt those who she cared for...

Must be_ eliminated_.

Unlike her dream self, Kite was not powerless.

_Eliminate._

Kite would never allow the King of Conquerors to die like what happened to the black giant...

_Eliminate._

She would never allow a repeat of what happened to _her_, who died because of her hesitation.

_Eliminate._

Wrenching herself free once again from the King of Conqueror's grasp, Kite once again raised her fishing pole...

Before she dropped it to the ground with a clatter, falling to her knees, clutching her forehead with both hands in agony.

"You idiot! What was that for?!"With an angry shout, Kite aimed a swift kick at the one who had caused her discomfort.

Only for her to feel more pain as the muscular figure, despite his size, managed to dodge swiftly to the side, and instead of her foot connecting with the spot below his belt, it connected with something hard and metallic: the side of a chariot, which for some reason, was conveniently located where her foot was bound to strike.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" The girl who is normally quiet and soft spoken was shouting in fury and indignation, jumping up and down on one foot in an attempt to keep her balance, one hand still rubbing the sore spot on her head, while she used the other to clutch at her other foot that felt as if it had been hit by a sledgehammer.

Fortunately, Kite's body was reinforced to a point that something like that would not injure her.

Unfortunately, it still hurt.

"Ah, it seems you are finally back to your senses." The culprit behind Kite's current state said in an amused tone, an irritating grin plastered on his face.

"Jerk!"

In that moment, Kite had forgotten just where she was or what she was doing, her focus directed towards a certain muscle-bound idiot who had the nerve to flick her on her forehead.

'_Never take a life in hatred. Kill only when there is no other option.'_

'_Ne, Kite. Promise me, no matter what happens, that you won't turn into a murderer, kay?'_

The advice that she was given by her mother.

The promise which she made to her best friend.

An advice which she almost failed to follow.

A promise which she nearly broke.

Kite, in truth, was actually feeling truly annoyed and irritated at the Heroic Spirit of the Mount because of what he had done. However, at the same time, she could not help but feel grateful to him.

"You're not alone, you know that, right Master?"

"..."

Kite could not find the right response to the words of her surrogate Uncle. The hate inside her now extinguished, it was now replaced by shame. Shame, at what she had done. Shame, at the way she acted.

Shame, because she had, in many ways, made a fool of herself in front of many, even more so than her Contracted Heroic Spirit.

And yet, despite being embarrassed, her heart also felt lighter, and her lips once again tugged upwards into a small smile, one which was made out of true gladness, devoid of any malice like the one she was making before.

Well, not entirely.

"This is for trying to raise your sword against Oj- my Servant." Once again, Kite used this word to address her the King of Conquerors, though unlike before, it did not hold the purpose of berating, simply using it because she was too embarrassed to call the King of Conquerors Uncle in public. She would have called her Rider, but decided to call him Servant instead to regain some of her composure.

Her eyes glinting with mischief, Kite, who still had the King of Knights wrapped in her strings, sent the Servant of the Sword flying before she cut them loose... right into a crate full of stuffed animals, which was pried open during the previous confrontation between Saber and Lancer.

"You!"

And soon enough, a very angry King of Knights emerged from the rubble, hair messed up, face red with anger and humiliation, looking rather undignified: Kite had taken the ribbon which was holding Saber's hair in a bun.

"I'll be taking this as a trophy, Saber-san_,_" Kite stated, as she tied the ribbon around her fishing pole. Her voice was almost monotonous, yet one would notice a hint of amusement in it.

Beside her, Kite's Uncle in all but blood was laughing merrily.

"Hahaha! You know, Master, it might have been better if you just killed her."

"Oh? And just who was it who stopped me from landing the finishing blow?"

"Point taken."

Even though they were still in the middle of a secret war between mages, Kite was unable to suppress the giggle that escaped her lips.

She had to admit, it was amusing to watch the King of Knights glare at her angrily, yet unable to make any move. Just as Kite suspected, all Heroic Spirits have the ability to summon their Noble Phantasms back into their hands, as proven by the fact that Saber was once again wielding Excalibur.

Even though she was not completely herself at the time, Kite had been able to gain a lot of information from their clash, much more than anything she would have gotten by merely being an observer.

Of course, that would also go both ways, since there was no doubt that the King of Knights, as well as the other observers had also gotten a grasp of her fighting style.

However, that was of little consequence. Kite, after all, had not yet revealed all of the tricks she had up her sleeve, and while she knew it was the same for their opponents, even if she was forced to show her hand in exchange for forcing her opponents to show theirs.

It was her abilities, not Rider's, that was going to be revealed.

Once again observing her surroundings, Kite noticed that everything had once again gone quiet. From the corner of her eyes, Kite could see that Lancer tightened his grip on his spears, yet did not make any move, apparently unsure of what he should do next. The Einzbern homunculus, the woman who looked identical to her, on the other hand, also stood frozen, her mouth slightly open in a mixture of awe, shock and confusion.

Uncertainty, that was the emotion that Kite could feel present the most in the air, one which she knew was undoubtedly caused by her display.

And it was fun, she had to admit, to sow uncertainty in their enemies' ranks.

Though the truth was, Kite herself was also uncertain.

But then, even though Kite was unsure of what to do, her partner was not, and from the look on his face, the silver-haired female could tell that he was planning something.

With a nod of her head, the girl with silver hair gave the Heroic Spirit the go-signal to proceed with whatever it was he intended to do.

_Probably something stupid,_ thought Kite to herself.

Yet when it comes right down to it, she herself had made so many foolish decisions...

So who was she to talk?

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

Alright, chapter three's done.

Like I said many times, writing fight scenes is definitely NOT my forte. I've re-reedited the fight scenes a bit so I hope they're good enough.

Technically, I was intending to finish the dock scene with this chapter, but since it would be too long, and the details would be lacking if I tried to compress it, it would probably extend to one or two more chapters, with the next one as the end of the confrontations, and the one after that would be the aftermath, one which would focus on the other Master Servant pairs and their thoughts and countermeasures for what had transpired.

So far, I have not yet completed the skill set for the main character of this story, and I am currently looking over various anime and non-anime materials to see if I can find something that could fit, though I have already used two in particular, which I think you could guess, as a reference.

But enough about that for now...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, nor do I own any of the anime and book references I use, and I'm only writing this for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

**Battle Royal: Finale**

In a regular battle royal, the most reliable tactic is to smash those in numerical inferiority with a concentrated effort. Thus, if they show one weakness here and now, they might be forced into the worse outcome, she and the King of Conquerors fighting against everyone else.

Naturally, in this aspect, Kite was aware that just moments before she had done exactly that, exposing weakness to their enemies, when she acted rashly and foolishly assaulted the Servant of the Sword.

Blinded by her rage, Kite charged at the King of Knights, completely forgetting that she was dealing with a supernatural being whose abilities were at the pinnacle of humanity. Kite may have confidence in her own abilities, but her instincts were telling her that Heroic Spirits were never to be underestimated. If her guess was correct, each one of them probably had a trump card or two that were almost assured of taking out their enemies.

And she also overlooked the fact that there was at least one more hostile Heroic Spirit in close proximity: Lancer, the Servant of the Spear. The only reason why the Knight of Fianna did not attack was because he was being cautious.

After all, as far as Kite could tell, with her appearance strikingly similar to Saber's Master, it was also possible that Lancer or his Master were thinking it could be a trap. Paranoia of course was normal in the battle field, and while it could result in missing out on a perfect opportunity, it is also what usually saves the life of a person.

And aside from that, even though Kite stopped paying attention to her surroundings and focused only on her target when she fought Saber, the King of Conquerors, despite his carefree demeanour, was actually much sharper than he seemed to be, and had positioned himself and the chariot in such a way that anyone who wanted to interfere would have to go through him first. Even during their vulnerable moments, none of the others in the vicinity dared make a move against them, not with the threat of getting trampled by a lightning-shrouded bull if they dared try anything.

Even though Kite was a novice as a magus, she was not a stranger when it comes to dangerous situations, and in the past few years, ever since her mother left, Kite had had many perilous encounters, some of which involving the supernatural, although most of the dangers she encountered did not involve any magic at all... though that did not make the situations any less life threatening.

She was just a regular student who knew a bit of magic, but whenever someone's life was in danger or there was a threat to peace and security, Kite would get involved to help with the situation.

It had always been her aim to follow in her mother's footsteps, but the death of her best friend was what triggered Kite to train even harder than before, with a fishing rod as her weapon of choice...

The same fishing rod that once belonged to her best friend, which she had given to Kite upon her passing.

Kite's hero tendency was what eventually led to the death of her best friend, yet she knew she could not divert from this path.

Since then, having to say goodbye to someone close to her heart had become Kite's greatest fear, and thus, rather than suffer, Kite decided it would be better for her to remain alone. In the many places she had been to she had made a number of friends, but ever since her death two years ago, Kite had been distant to everyone she met, trying her best to keep her relationships strictly professional, not wanting to form any more friendships, which she knew would only cause her even more pain. Sadly, while her ploy somewhat succeeded, there were some who were able to see right through her, and thus, the number of people who were important to her still continued to increase.

She failed to keep up her mask in front of quite a few, and two of them are currently living in the same roof as her.

One of them is her cat, Neko.

And the other...

Is the idiot that was responsible for Kite's present headache.

"You are mistaken... I, Alexander, am the one who is well known throughout the world as the King of Conquerors."

"Fool. The only hero in Heaven and Earth who is a real king is me. The rest are a collection of mongrels."

"If you want to say that much, could you first announce yourself? If you are such a king, you couldn't be ashamed of your fame?"

"Are you questioning me? A lowly mongrel questioning a king like me?"

It had only been a few moments since Alexander, the King of Conquerors, initiated his plan, yet Kite, his partner was once again fighting against the urge to kick him hard on his behind.

The only reason why she had not acted upon the impulse was because she knew that doing so could become a disturbance that could mean their death, literally... as well as the fact that she did not have the right to reprimand him at the moment.

Archer, the other entity brimming with arrogance and haughtiness, is not someone to be underestimated. In fact, trusting her instincts, out of all the Heroic Spirits in the area, Kite calculated that the Knight of the Bow was the most dangerous enemy present in the place they were using as an arena.

And since the King of Conquerors, who, while not as cruel, was just as proud and arrogant as the Golden Archer, it was no surprise that the two were metaphorically butting their heads against each other using words.

A few moments before the King of Conquerors had to keep Kite in check.

Now, their positions were reversed.

No matter how intelligent or crafty Kite could be, for her to defeat the King of Conquerors in any sort of debate, let alone convince him to stop once he had started something, was like trying to lift a two-ton brick wall.

How to stop a prideful moron from going on a verbal argument against another prideful nut who is even more arrogant than the former, while not impossible, would be difficult... very difficult indeed.

"I grant you the honor of my presence yet you can't recognize me; such ignorance isn't even worth living."

And as luck would have it, it was too late for Kite to stop it from escalating. The verbal warfare has now turned into one that made use of real weapons.

The air around the Golden Servant distorted, a sword and a spear appearing through the ripples which warped the atmosphere. It was the same move which the Servant employed to rip Assassin to shreds the night before, and now he was going to use it on them, though thankfully, unlike the night before when he brought out at least ten weapons, the Archer had only brought out two weapons into play.

_But that could change at any given time. _

Kite may not have discerned the Golden Servant's identity, but a feeling in her gut told her that a dozen Noble Phantasms was not the exact number of weapons this Archer owned.

It was probably more… much more than that.

Looking at her companion, Kite could see that the King of Conquerors was still smiling, the look of calm confidence leaving neither his face nor his eyes.

However...

The bulls of their chariot were a different matter altogether.

While it is true that both heavenly beasts seemed to take after their coachman, Kite could sense their fear.

Gordius Wheel, as Kite knew too well, could move and fly at an incredible speed. However, comparing the speed of the bulls and that of the swords, lightning-charged or not, was like comparing the speed of turtle and hare.

If Archer were to take them seriously, even though she was uncertain if they could win, Kite was sure she and the King of Conquerors would survive.

However, the chariot, and more importantly, the bulls would not.

The Gordius Wheel is the King of Conqueror's Noble Phantasm, and thus, it comes as a package, as a lightning-shrouded chariot that is driven by bulls.

However, even if it was just a weapon, the bulls that were driving it were alive.

And if Kite treated the creatures that were part of the Noble Phantasm as nothing but a weapon, it would be the same as treating Rider as nothing but a Servant.

Thus, after a bit of thinking that lasted momentarily, Kite has made her decision.

"Oi, Master?"The King of Conquerors, turning his attention away from the Golden Archer inquired, but the fishing rod user ignored him.

Kite moved away from the chariot, far enough from it so that it would divert Archer's gaze, but near enough to keep Saber and Lancer reluctant to attack her. It is a pity that the King of Conquerors had been unable to make the Golden Archer reveal his name even by striking at his pride, since the message was misinterpreted by the proud Servant of the Bow, and said information would have definitely been useful.

But then, considering their current predicament, it was probably better that Archer had not yet revealed his true identity.

_There is no other way... I need to figure out who he is._

Looking up at the menacing Heroic Spirit that was standing on the lamppost, Kite addressed the Servant of the Bow in her usual monotonous tone.

"The only hero in Heaven and Earth who is a real king is me. The rest are a collection of mongrels... isn't that what you stated earlier?"

The Golden Servant turned his eyes towards Kite.

"Oh, and what of it, girl?" Archer responded in a calm tone, yet the blaze of fury in his eyes was still there. "I speak only the truth."

Even though inside she was actually really nervous, Kite mentally stomped down on her own fears, not allowing it to take root, and stared back at the Servant of the Bow.

For a moment, Kite's nervousness was starting to get the better of her, as the Golden Archer's menacing glare was locked upon her being.

The next moment, a small smile appeared on her face.

"Is there something you find amusing, girl?" The Golden Archer asked harshly, the murderous aura around him rising steadily.

"Oh, it's nothing really. I'm just amazed at my own foolishness for not realizing it sooner."

"Realize what, girl?"

"Your true identity."

"Oh? You know who I am?" Upon hearing this, the aura of fury around the Golden Servant had somewhat lessened, part of it being replaced by curiosity.

_So I was right then,_ thought Kite, smirking inwardly. Apparently, one of the main causes of the Servant of the Bow's displeasure was the fact that no one knew who he is. Prideful people after all, come in all sorts, and apparently, Archer believed that not recognizing him is equivalent to grave disrespect... which meant that recognizing him would mean exactly the opposite.

Unfortunately, even though she was doing her very best, looking inside of her mind and recalling all the history and mythology books she read, comparing them to the being in front of her, Kite had not yet figured out who Archer was, and was only acting as if she knew.

And pretending to know his identity would probably be considered by Archer as an even greater affront.

One second. Two seconds. All the while the Golden Servant was looking at Kite expectantly, waiting for her to speak. Kite may have managed to deceive Archer into believing she knew his identity, but she knew she won't be able to keep it up. The Golden Servant did not seem to have a lot of patience, and it was only a matter of time before he ran out of it.

And if Kite could not figure out his name by then, which would probably be in the next few seconds, it could very well mean the end of her. Kite may have confidence in the skills she possessed, as well as the abilities of her partner, Alexander, but now that she thought about it, even if they did survive Archer's onslaught, or even match him, it would certainly not end without her getting injured... something which the other enemies they have in the vicinity were bound to exploit.

_What should I do? What should I do?_ The silver-haired female, despite maintaining her calm expression on the outside, was actually in turmoil on the inside, frantically trying to come up with a way to circumvent the peril she had placed herself in.

_Think! Think!_ Kite desperately racked her brain, yet even she, with her high level of intellect, could not come up with a solution. She could try to delay the inevitable by diverting with a bit of small talk, but that was all she could do.

Unless she could figure out Archer's identity in the next few moments, she would probably suffer the same fate as Assassin. Kite knew of course, that Assassin was still alive… but she also knew, thanks to her familiar that managed to infiltrate Kotomine Church, that and Assassin did die on that night.

?!

And then she remembered it. Her familiar presently hidden in the Church... the conversations between three conspirators…

_I'm such an idiot._

Kite, in truth, wanted to slap herself in the face for not recalling it sooner. Perhaps it was because she was feeling nervous at being in the centre of a mortally perilous conflict, but it was still no excuse for forgetting such an important detail.

"Well?" The Knight of the Bow demanded, the aura of fury around once again beginning to rise, but Kite was not worried.

A few seconds before, her declaration was nothing but a bluff.

Now it was a bluff no longer.

Smirking slightly, Kite opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say out loud Archer's true name…

?!

An unexpected torrent of prana swept in a roar, which caught the attention of everyone in the docks.

Solidifying and materializing into an armour-clad figure whose form was shrouded in darkness.

Another Servant has entered the battlefield.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Whenever Kite made any sort of judgment, there were two main factors that she would use as basis for her assessment.

One, is factual information. Kite is a studious individual, blessed with the ability to observe and analyze anything she lays her eyes on swiftly and accurately. Her analysis of course, is not always perfect, especially when there is a detail or two missing that is out of her reach, but her assessments based solely on the available information are quite reliable.

To see is to believe.

To experience is to know with certainty.

However, just as much as she trusted factual information, Kite's assessments are also leaned towards what she considers as just as, if not more reliable: her instinct.

Her observation skills may be at the pinnacle, but her gut feeling tells that which cannot be discerned by her logical powers of perception.

Thus, based on her judgment, Caster would undoubtedly be the most dangerous threat as of present, for the very reason that Kite did not have any information on him or her, and thus could not make any accurate assessment, plans of offense and defence in preparation. Despite the number of familiars she had scattered in Fuyuki, she so far did not have any luck in finding anything about that particular Servant. She did manage to discover a considerable number of magical barriers, but those could have been set up by a Master.

Now, however, was not the time to worry about an enemy that has not revealed itself.

Using her clairvoyance ability, one which was granted by the Grail, Kite had already gotten a glimpse of the stats and abilities of six out of seven of the Heroic Spirits participating in the Heaven's Feel.

According to the parameters, Saber was without the doubt the Heroic Spirit with the highest basic parameters, thus making her a truly dangerous opponent. However, from Kite's perspective, Saber was probably the least threatening enemy, at least against her. For some reason she could not fully comprehend, Kite has the ability to read the King of Knights quite well, rendering her overall capability irrelevant. Even if the Once and Future King of England was potentially the strongest Servant, Kite's understanding of how the King of Knight's mind works, her sword style, her strong points and her flaws, would put her at an advantage. Even if the Servant of the Sword was not injured, Kite was sure that she would be able to match the supposedly strongest of the Servant Classes.

As for Lancer, Diarmuid of the Lovespot was without a doubt a powerful and formidable opponent. However, most of his abilities had already been revealed. Kite knew she should not get too complacent, since it was possible that the Knight of Fianna still held some cards close to his chest, but even still, the chances of it were slim. Based from her analysis, Kite was sure that if it came to a one on one, she would probably be able to hold her own against Lancer. And if matched against Alexander... knowing her partner's abilities, the result, while still uncertain like in any war, was more likely than not going to be in their favour.

Assassin. While it is true that the Servant would usually be a bane to all Masters, Kite was rather fortunate that the Heroic Spirit by her side is someone who cannot be fooled by it. Despite the Rank A+ Presence Concealment Assassin, or rather, the Assassins, possessed, the King of Conquerors, for some reason or another, is able to sense them even when they are still at a distance, an ability that is not even registered in his list of skills.

Kite did not know what type of Noble Phantasm Assassin used or how many of them there are exactly, but based from the recorded conversations that she heard, the Servants of Stealth no longer had the ability to increase their number. If ever worse comes to worse, Kite, who also has experience fighting multiple opponents at once, was sure she could stay alive long enough to enable Alexander to use his final trump card.

When it comes to overall threat level, however, there was no doubt that Archer was the one who held the most intimidating aura. His true identity, as Kite now knew though did not get the chance to reveal it, was Gilgamesh, the fifth and greatest King of ancient Uruk, an enemy that is not to be underestimated.

Kite truly believed that Archer was the most dangerous of the known Servants in the war.

At least, that was what she thought a few minutes ago.

Gate of Babylon, as Kite and the others in the docks witnessed, was a terrifying storage-type Noble Phantasm that literally fires numerous weapons, swords and spears, each one a Noble Phantasm on its own.

However, at the same time that the King of Uruk utilized his treasury, he was faced and countered by another Heroic Spirit, the one who is now at the top of Kite's most dangerous opponents list.

Berserker.

The sixth Servant to appear in the docks, the Mad Warrior, is the enemy that Kite considers as the greatest of the known threats. The robust man whose body is covered in armour was able to match Archer, effectively dodging the Golden Servant's attempts to pulverize him, using his own weapons against him. Despite being insane, Berserker had shown great skill and prowess as a warrior, skill that, from Kite's perspective, was on the same level as that of Saber and Lancer.

And to make matter worse... Kite was unable to see his stats.

The Servant Stats were indeed useful when it comes to making proper assessment, planning and preparations. In Kite's case, she would have an even better understanding of these stats than any of the other Masters, having personally faced two Heroic Spirits in combat, one of whom was the King of Knights, while the other was none other than her partner, the King of Conquerors.

Battle skills and fighting styles may come in various unique forms, but knowing an enemy Servant's basic stats, namely Strength, Endurance, Agility, Mana and Luck would have revealed their limitations.

What made Kite truly worried, however, even more than the Mad Warrior's display of skill and his unreadable stats, was the fact that...

"... So that's it. When Blacky takes something, it becomes _his_ Noble Phantasm." Kite heard her companion, the King of Conquerors, comment offhandedly, which was without a doubt, the same observation that was made by the others in the docks.

When Berserker had initially confronted Archer, Kite was already uneasy when she saw the Mad Warrior catching the Knight of the Bow's Noble Phantasms and utilizing them as if they were their own.

The moment the King of Uruk retreated, forced by his Master to leave the battlefield, the Mad Warrior, for some reason or another, immediately went after the King of Knights, and not only was he overpowering the supposedly strongest Servant Class, he was doing it with nothing but an iron pole as his weapon, an iron pole which he turned into his Noble Phantasm.

When Kite saw this, her worry had increased by a large margin. Berserker's ability, as she realized, was not limited to stealing another Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm. Just like what her partner stated, he could turn _anything _that he gets his hands on into his Noble Phantasm, a weapon, and excel at using it as such.

"Master?"

"Berserker... he's a very dangerous opponent." Kite commented.

"Indeed," the King of Conquerors, who standing inside his chariot, stated in agreement as he rubbed his chin.

Yes, Berserker was without a doubt, the most threatening of the entities that was present on the battlefield, managing to overpower even the Servant of the Sword, who was barely holding her ground. This was the thought that was present in her mind, as she continued to silently observe the ongoing confrontation. It was only a matter of time before the King of Knight's defence was penetrated.

"You... Just who are you?!"

An opening soon presented itself, and the Black Knight, as if he had not lost his sanity, immediately took advantage of it and threw the iron pole at Saber, who, just like when she fought Kite, created a flaw in her own guard when she asked a similar question, allowing her mind to wander ever so slightly.

Unlike Kite's string trap, however, which was meant to incapacitate the enemy to enable a finishing blow, Berserker's assault was itself the finishing blow.

_It's over_, thought Kite. Judging from the speed of the pole that was thrown like a javelin and the angle by which the King of Knight's body was twisted, no matter how fast Saber was, she would be unable to block it, and would soon have her neck destroyed... or, if the impact was strong enough, her head completely severed from her body.

?!

Or not...

The next moment which lasted less than a quarter of a second, however, Kite had to retract her thoughts, as the pole which she expected would kill the King of Knights was sent flying in another direction: blocked by none other than Lancer.

"Please stop your pranks now, Berserker. Saber has a previous engagement with me... If you keep up this nonsense and interrupt the battle between us, I won't stay quiet."

_Whaa..._ A look of surprise appeared momentarily on the fishing rod user's normally emotionless face, unable to believe what just happened.

However, the expression on her face quickly faded, replaced by a look of calm comprehension.

_I see... So that's why..._ thought the silver-haired female, as she finally understood.

While it was true that her own partner was the one who prevented her from killing Saber earlier, Lancer, as she now knew, must have had the exact same idea, though for a different reason. Judging from his stance at the time, as well as the fact that the distance between them and the Servant of the Spear had been significantly reduced, Kite knew that had Alexander not been there, it was possible that her rod would have been blocked by Lancer's spear in the same manner that Berserker's iron pole was deflected.

Kite assumed that the only thing that prevented the spearman from launching an assault was the presence of the King of Conquerors, probably thinking that the battle was nothing but a trap of some kind.

Now she knew that her assumption was only partially correct.

A part of Kite's mind was convinced that the actions taken by the Knight of the Spear was foolish. To save the life of an enemy, whatever his reasons might be, was downright stupidity, especially when there is nothing to gain from doing so.

Yet, at the same time... Kite could also understand how Lancer feels.

She may not follow the honor codes of chivalry, following her own set of principles when it comes to a fight, but when it comes right down to it, Kite knew just how irritating it was when someone interrupts you from what you are doing, especially if the particular activity that is stopped is one which the person enjoy.

Even more annoying than interruptions, however, would be that which would permanently prevent its continuation.

Lancer, who was undoubtedly enjoying his duel with Saber even though they are trying to kill each other, was without a doubt irritated when the King of Conquerors interrupted their battle.

However, he was probably even more annoyed with Kite when she almost killed the King of Knights, as that would have made the continuation of the duel an impossibility.

And now, Berserker had earned the ire of the spearman for the exact same reason.

Lancer's move was indeed foolish. However…

_If I were him, I would have probably done the same thing..._ the silver-haired female muttered in her thoughts. Thus, even though Kite truly wanted to fight and defeat Saber herself, she decided in her heart that she would wait her turn, and would face whichever one of the two became victorious.

Kite's decision to step aside, however, was not simply because of how she personally felt.

_It seems like Saber and Lancer will be teaming up against Berserker… I can use this to our advantage…_

Eliminating Berserker was a priority, and now the opportunity has presented itself...

"What are you doing, Lancer? This is a good chance to defeat Saber."

Or so she thought.

Unfortunately, Lancer's Master does not agree with the Heroic Spirit's sentiment.

"The fight with Saber is a battle that I, Diarmuid ua Duibhne, gambled my honor on! I'll first let you see how I will kill that mad dog. Therefore, my lord! This duel between Saber and I..."

"No."

Diarmuid pleaded with his Master, his eyes showing just how much he wanted to finish his duel with the King of Knight's yet his Master has denied his request.

"Lancer, assist Berserker in killing Saber. I command you with the Command Seal."

And then, as if to show the Heroic Spirit just who was in charge, without waiting for the spearman to concede, Lancer's Master ordered his Servant with an absolute order.

The effect was immediate. Robbed of his free will, the proud Heroic Spirit of the Lance was forced to obey, to comply, unable to control his own body, which had turned into nothing but a puppet on strings that was set to do what the puppet master has tasked it to do.

The situation has now changed. Instead of the battle being Saber and Lancer against Berserker, it was now Lancer and Berserker against Saber.

Kite was barely able to restrain her fury. To anyone who looked at her, she would seem calm and composed, yet if one were to observe her for a bit longer, they would realize it was far from the truth.

Her body, ever so slightly, was shaking. Her left hand had tightened its grip on the fishing rod, while her other hand that was not holding anything had balled themselves into fists.

The expression on her face is still neutral, yet if one were to look at her face more closely, they would notice that her lips were slightly parted, her teeth grinding against each other in her anger.

Kite, in truth, was not someone who would take life needlessly. True, she does enjoy fighting, but while she had killed before, she only did so when there was no other option, or if the enemy was too evil that letting them live would only give them the opportunity to hurt more innocents.

Thus, she had absolutely no qualms with killing enemy Masters. With the exception of a few, including her mother and her best friend, every single magic user, or magus Kite encountered had no problem with killing innocent people to achieve their selfish goals, and thus, since all six of her enemy Masters were undoubtedly magi, killing them would be doing the world a great service.

Her feelings towards the Servants should be no different. After all, no matter how grand or famous these Heroic Spirits were in life, they were nothing but puppets, tools, instruments, that magi call upon to aid them in acquiring the Holy Grail.

At least, that was how she would feel about Servants if she was a magus.

However, Kite was not a magus. She used magic, she had abilities that were far from that which could be considered not natural, but then, that was simply what she was. A girl who knows how to fight. A girl who could use magic.

Kite was a person, not a magus.

Thus, even though Lancer was an enemy, even though Kite would not feel any remorse in killing him, Kite could not help but pity the Knight of Fianna at being treated as nothing but a tool.

"These Command Seals… To force someone to do their bidding as if they were nothing but slaves… if it wasn't for the fact that they are what's helping Oji-san remain in this world, I would curse their very existence."

"Hahaha! Words worthy of the one I named my successor."

?!

Her attention removed from Lancer's forced onslaught on Saber, Kite turned to her side, and was surprised to find the King of Conquerors smiling down at her, his expression a mixture of pride and fondness…

"I must admit I'm surprised. I never knew you cared so much."

_Crap._

The girl with the fishing rod could not help but feel mortified. She did not realize she said those words out loud.

"You…" she began, about to fire a barrage of insults at the annoying King of Conquerors, but before she could do so, the large man began ruffling her hair affectionately.

Kite fell silent, and stared down at her feet in an attempt to hide the blush that appeared on her face. The King of Conquerors, while she would never say it openly, was someone who she had come to love like family.

"Feeling better, lassie?"

"Stop treating me like a child."

"Then stop acting like one, and help me conquer the world!"

"Now which one of us is acting like a child?"

"You are, Kite! You are refusing to open your eyes to the truth! The path of conquest is the one true path to take!"

The number of people who could break her mask and make her show her true self could be counted on one finger, and the Heroic Spirit of the Mount was one of them.

To Kite, Alexander was not simply a Servant, nor was he merely a Heroic Spirit.

To her, he was a friend, a comrade, a parent. Someone she had come to care for. Someone who would take a part of her with him to the grave should he perish.

There were times, however, when she really wanted to bury him and send him to the grave... which was exactly what she was feeling at the moment.

"You're going on about this again. I already told you so many times, what I want to do is to save the world, not taking over and ruling as a tyrant!" Kite almost shouted in exasperation, catching herself just in time as she realized that her voice was no longer in its usual monotonous tone.

"And I think I already told you that it is impossible unless you do it yourself. If you truly wish to save the world, then you must first conquer it, then shape it the way you want to." The King of Conquerors answered, locking eyes with his contractor for a moment, before turning his gaze to his right side. "I don't think this is the right time for us to discuss such issues, though."

"Oh, and who, pray tell, was the one who started this argument in the first place?"

"You."

Kite could feel a vein popping on her forehead. If she was not careful, there was good chance that she would suffer from an aneurism.

?!

Before she could utter a word in retaliation, the echoing sound of metal clashing against metal brought her back to her senses.

Turning her head in the same direction as the King of Conquerors, Kite saw Saber being cornered by Lancer, who was being forced by an absolute order to attack the King of Knights against his will. Beside him, Berserker, the Mad Warrior, was also advancing upon the Knight of the Sword.

No matter how great high her stats are, even if she still had some aces left to play, Kite could feel it: Saber did not stand a chance.

Her plan, originally, was to help Saber and Lancer eliminate Berserker, a plan that was no longer plausible due to Lancer being forced to team up with Berserker against Saber.

It was an opportunity lost beyond hope.

However, with the loss of that opportunity, another one has presented itself.

"Hey, Oji-san," Kite addressed his companion, who was standing beside her, the Gordius Wheel parked like a large truck beside them. With everyone's attention on the ongoing two-on-one one-sided clash, there was no need for her to be completely professional.

"Hmmm?"

"I cannot allow this to continue. I think it's time for us to intervene."

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Rest assured Saber. Believe in your Master."

Saber, the Knight of the Sword, was feeling confused. Her mind as it is, was already spinning in puzzlement and panic, yet Irisviel's words only served to increase it.

The King of Knights had already accepted that their situation was nearly hopeless. Forced to face two enemies who were on even footing as her both at the same time, with her left hand injured, she knew her fighting chance of even escaping was slim.

She had a heavy burden on her shoulder, the wish to save her country by using the power of the Holy Grail, yet it seems like she going to fail… at least, with the current chance she was given. Due to the type of contract she made, Arturia was destined to eventually acquire the wishing cup, no matter how many Grails Wars she would have to enter.

Still, at the moment, her priority was to ensure that Irisviel survived. Even if Saber were to die, she would still get a chance to obtain the Holy Grail, as it was part of her contract. She will continuously be summoned to various opportunities to acquire the Holy Grail until she succeeds.

Yet, even then, if Saber were to die now, she would have failed in fulfilling her oath to protect Irisviel at all costs.

That aside, vessel of the grail or not, the King of Knights had come to care for the woman who is a kind and warm person, even if she was not her true Master.

The person she was trying to protect, however, was making it difficult for the King of Knights. For some reason, she seemed to believe that her husband, who is Saber's true Master, would pull something off that would get them out of the tight situation, though the King of Knights did not know how that would be possible.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, the Knight of the Sword glanced at her acting Master for a moment, before turning her attention completely back to her two adversaries.

Lancer and Berserker charged. In response, Saber raised her sword, preparing herself for the worst. No matter what happens, no matter how difficult, even if she died, she would at least make sure that Irisviel would make it out of this alive.

And then, the two Heroic Spirits who had been advancing upon the King of Knight, suddenly, inexplicably…

…fell to the ground with their back facing the sky…

A few minutes earlier, the King of Knights had just suffered a humiliating defeat, by the hands of a Master no less. Humans could never hope to match a Servant in battle, yet this particular enemy managed to do so.

During that fight, she had to endure the shame of losing all mobility at being wrapped in fishing lines, of all things.

Now, Saber was experiencing a repeat of that occurrence, only this time it was not happening to her.

It was happening to the enemies she was facing.

"The hell…" the Knight of Fiana cursed as he spat out the dirt that entered his mouth upon his fall. Beside him, the Black Knight roared in fury.

Both Servants were trying to get up. Yet, despite being famous Heroic Spirits who are at the pinnacle of humanity, they were failing miserably at the simple task.

Saber blinked, feeling both stunned and confused at the turn of events, unsure of what she should do.

Should she retreat and flee with Irisviel? Or should she move forward and take advantage of the opportunity?

Forward, is the course of action that Saber wanted to take. Retreat, however, was what her instinct was telling her that she should do.

Not sure which of these two forces urging her to follow, the King of Knights decided to stay put…

And perhaps, it was lucky that she did.

Had she decided to move forward like she wanted, she probably would no longer be around.

Had she retreated and turned her back on the scene with Irisviel in tow, she would have missed witnessing a considerable portion of what transpired next.

"Via Expugnatio!" A booming voice shouted.

It was a thunderbolt that suddenly visited the battlefield. It had the dizzying flash of lightning that contrived to make night into day, and a roar that boomed greater than any thunder.

It was the great lightning-shrouded chariot that was being driven by Rider, the King of Conquerors.

Gordius Wheel... Its power obviously does not lie in fighting with individuals, but with armies. Driven by two large powerful bulls that held the power of lightning, a single stomp of its hooves would already be devastating.

A thunderous sound was heard echoing throughout the battlefield, the ground shaking at the raw power of the Noble Phantasm.

Lancer and Berserker, who had both been rendered immobile, had the misfortune of getting acquainted with all four pairs of lightning-enhanced hooves, before getting run over by the chariot's devastating wheels.

No matter how great or strong Heroic Spirits are, there are simply some things which are impossible even for such beings of great power to live through.

Saber, the King of Knights, who was nearest, had been given a perfect view, a front row seat, to watch as the battered remains of Lancer and Berserker, two Servants who were among the greatest heroes of mankind, started vanishing until they turned into nothingness.

The docks suddenly became deathly quiet. Every single person who witnessed it, both in the vicinity and those watching from a far, could not help but feel a shiver of fear. With one assault, two Heroic Spirits, both of whom were at full strength, had been killed, without even getting the chance to fight back, in a one-sided massacre.

Truly, the power of the King of Conquerors was not to be underestimated.

And yet, every single one of them knew, that only half of the credit for the slaughter would go to the Mounted Servant. Because the other half of the credit, undeniably, would go to someone else…

And the King of Conquerors was currently looking at that someone with a proud smile on his face.

Surprisingly for a boisterous person, Rider was not saying anything, but that was probably because he was giving the floor to _her_.

Near the place where the bodies of the two Heroic Spirits lay seconds before they vanish, were strings, which were now visible to the naked eye, even at a distance.

Her eyes hidden from view by her silver hair, which was flowing slightly in the gentle breeze, the Master of Rider, who was standing on top of a lamp post, fishing rod held tightly in her right hand, spoke one word, one word, which made a chill run down the spine of those who heard her speak...

"Next..."

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued…**

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

Alright, another chapter out. Now, I must admit it took me a while with this chapter. Like I said, I am not confident with writing fight scenes, though I hope what I've written is good enough.

Now, originally, I was planning to go with most of the canon flow for the dock battles. However, I decided to skip some scenes out, since you are already familiar with them. The Gilgamesh vs Berserker scenario is similar to that of canon, though it is only mentioned.

As for what happened next, I'm sure some of you are shocked by what happened, but really, this was how I depicted this part would end from the very beginning since I started writing this fic. Rider and Gilgamesh after all, are similar in that while the former is a friendly tyrant while the latter is a cruel tyrant (though that depended on the era in which he is summoned), they both have the tendency to hold back unless they recognize their opponent as someone worthy or if they feel like it.

In this case though, unlike in canon, Rider's Master is different, and that could create quite a number of changes.

It's just the first night and two Servants had already been killed. With this development, a lot of people are going to make a few changes to their plans, or maybe not, you're just going to have to look out for the next chapter to find out.

More likely than not, the next chapter's going to be an interlude.

By the way, if anyone could come up with a better title for this fic, I would gladly appreciate it, Fate Zero: Path of the Snowstorm is only a tentative title. I'm still trying to think of a good one and if you have one and I like it, then please mention it. I am of course, at the same time asking permission to use it since I did not think of it, so I will of course mention who came up of said title.

But enough of that for now...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Type-Moon or any of their novels, nor do I own any of the anime and book references I use, and I'm only writing this for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**Battle Royal: Aftermath**

The road that winds through the west area of Fuyuki city is usually silent at night. Since the area is still undeveloped, there are hardly any inhabitants, and thus very few feel the need to travel along these roads. There are only two buses that take this route, one in the morning and one in the evening. The number of other vehicles that utilize it are rare and few, and in the evening, there are hardly any at all.

Thus, one might say that this road is perfect for street racers, since there is hardly any interference. A few times a year such races do indeed occur, but as of present, there was no such occasional event.

Thus, there was no one to see the silver streak that was eating up the road.

Mercedes-Benz 300SL Coupe. The flowing, elegant, streamlined body with a scent of antiquity resembled a noble lady, while the roaring of the Inline-6 SOHC engine was like that of a fierce beast's.

At least, that is what it would normally look like. As of present, however, the Mercedes does not resemble one of its own kind at all, and instead of looking antique, it looked like some sort of futuristic and advanced technological car that could only be seen in the movies.

A direct result of the B Class Riding skills of Saber, the Knight of the Sword. Currently, she was on the steering wheel, driving a level that even pros would never be able to reach. Only an exceptional few would ever be able to match her.

The King of Knights pushed her foot on the gas, increasing the vehicle's speed, yet even then, the driver was doing so as gently as possible, a feat that is possible for one with such high Riding Skills, to ensure that the unconscious silver-haired female who was strapped on the seat beside her, who was breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

_Irisviel, hang in there!_

Saber was feeling both worried and angry, worried for her companion and angry at herself. She was Saber, the King of Knights, the Once and Future King of England whose skills with the sword very few can match. She, without boasting, excelled in combat.

Yet, she had no choice but to flee. In a way, her pride as a warrior was hurt.

Arturia did not blame Irisviel for this. True, when she suddenly collapsed it was at that point that Saber decided to retreat, but even if she had not, her instincts, which had kept her alive through numerous battlefields, were screaming at her to do exactly just that.

The worst part, however, was that Saber had the strange feeling that Rider and his Master let them go on purpose.

_Rider and his Master..._ thought Saber, who could not help but feel some grudging respect towards them. Even though their methods were somewhat underhanded, the powers they possessed were real. In fact, one of them had even managed to fight evenly with Saber in one on one combat, and the one who did so happened to be _Master_, not a _Servant_.

_Which reminds me, I need to get a new ribbon,_ the King of Knights thought in anger, the fact that her hair was flowing in the wind instead of being tied up in a bun reminding Arturia of her humiliating defeat.

Whether it was on purpose or not, whether it was out of respect or part of some plan, Saber was left alive. A mistake on their enemies' part, and the King of Knights will make sure they pay dearly for it the next time they fought.

Just as she was thinking of ways to defeat the two, Saber was forced to stop the car when she felt.

A large presence that must have been hidden suddenly manifested itself.

And it belonged to the figure that was standing about ten meters from the car.

The being was a Servant, of that Saber had no doubt. Judging from the man's attire and appearance, as well as the Heroic Spirits that have revealed themselves so far, this was probably Caster.

Minutes later, Saber would be cursing angrily as Caster left. The enemy Heroic Spirit had not come to fight, but still, the fact that he mistook her for Joan of Arc got on Arturia's nerves. Had she not been being cautious, as well as her honor as a knight, she would have struck him down.

Hours later, however, upon learning of the atrocities Caster had committed, Saber would regret not killing him then and there.

**xxxXXXxxx**

It would come as no shock that most of the participants of the Fourth Heaven's Feel were shocked by the recent development.

In all three previous Heaven's Feels, the earliest that a Heroic Spirit was slain would be a week after all seven has been summoned.

Yet in this War, things were going differently. On the very first night, a Servant was already slain, the Heroic Spirit of Stealth, Assassin. Thus, with Assassin, the Servant which is a Master's worst enemy removed from the equation, it gave the other parties the opportunity to act more freely, without fear of the Master being suddenly assassinated by the Servant of Stealth.

Supposedly at least. The truth of the matter is that Assassin is still alive. His death was technically faked, and was only a ruse by one of the camps.

Still, while not all Masters fell for it, it was enough for some of their caution to be lifted, and it resulted in that evening's clash, the first true battle of the Fourth Heaven's feel, which ended in the death of two Servants.

To the remaining Five Masters, this should have been good news. The number of major threats they have to deal with has been reduced by two after all, and it brings them closer to their goal of obtaining the Holy Grail.

Instead of relief, however, the scenario only brought more doubt and nervousness among the participating magi. Though technically it is such, not a single one of the remaining Masters with partner Servants had been able to consider it as a positive turn of events... except perhaps for the Master responsible for the elimination of two of the seven opposing parties.

Ever since she had summoned Alex and decided to join the battle for the Holy Grail, Hisau Keito had not had the chance to truly relax. Though she enjoyed the King of Conqueror's company, the fact that she had no choice but to think, plan, and act to ensure that she or her companion does not get killed is actually quite stressful.

Of course, this was not the first time that it happened to her, and she was quite used to being in constant peril, but that did not mean that she enjoyed it.

To her right, Kite could see her partner, the King of Conquerors was snoring loudly as he lay on the couch that was only managing to hold his weight because Kite used Reinforcement on it, while her cat Neko, who had taken a liking for the large man, was curled up on his chest.

As Kite adjusted her cap she could not help but smile. After that night's battle, her Oji-san definitely deserved some rest.

She, however, did not.

On the bright side, although the death of two Heroic Spirits did not lower the amount of peril, and thus did not make her more complacent nor lower her guard, the fact that she had two less opponents to worry about was still a relief. Now, she and her companion, who aim to acquire the Holy Grail, are now a few steps closer to their goal.

The fact that they could have taken out another Heroic Spirit, however, yet failed to utilize the opportunity, was not.

And it was all her fault.

Kite's smile vanished as she continued working on her laptop. Currently, she is studying and analyzing all the video footages and recordings that had been taken by the familiars that she had sent throughout the city. However, even as she was efficiently coming to conclusions and making plans, a part of her mind was still lingering on the wasted opportunity.

Saber, the Heroic Spirit of the Sword, should have been killed that night. When she thought about all the possible scenarios, the overall possibility of the King of Knights being successfully slain was over seventy percent. And to make matters worse, Kite's instinct was coincided with her analysis, and was telling her the same thing.

All is fair in love and war, a saying which Kite knew to be true, especially with regards to war. There is are no rules. There is no honor on such a battlefield. The only thing that exists in such a plain is a goal, and the objective is to reach it, no matter what must do to reach it...

Kite may be a warrior who follows her own set of principles, but in cases where it matters the most, she has learned to drop it and to not to hold back, using everything in her disposal, even the lowest of tricks, to succeed.

Such cases of course include that when the lives of her loves ones are in danger. Though Kite would never kill unless necessary, ever since _she_ died, the silver-haired female refrained from being cat-like and 'playing with her food.' In such cases, she refrained from toying with her enemies and eliminates them as swiftly as possible.

When she let Saber go free during their duel, it was not just because the King of Conquerors stopped her or because of her promises. No, it was also because having the King of Knights around meant that the attention of other enemies may be diverted towards said Heroic Spirit instead.

During the second time, however, Kite had no such excuse for letting Saber go… or rather, letting her Master go.

Kite had already planned out the scenario. Should her and Alexander's attempt at taking out Lancer and Berserker succeed, the silver-haired female fully intended to assassinate Saber's Master who was pretty much exposed.

Despite being guarded by the formidable King of Knights, Kite knew that even she would not be able to defend her Master and handle the King of Conquerors at the same time.

Basically, Kite's plan was not foolproof. However, the fact that Saber's Master _fainted_, would have made eliminating the Master and Servant pair an easy task.

Kite did not know why she knew it, yet she did. The fishing rod user was not surprised when the Einzbern homunculus collapsed. For some reason she could understand, she knew that the death of two Servants could have such an effect on Saber's Master.

It was the perfect opportunity, that much was for certain, yet for some reason Kite could not understand, she was unable to execute her plan.

Though it would not have been exactly a walk in the park, Kite knew that if she and her partner attacked Saber and her Master, they would have definitely managed to eliminate them.

Yet Kite could not, could not go through with it. Not because she was incapable, not because she was exhausted, but because her body simply refused to move to act upon it.

_What's happening to me?_

As her thoughts wandered upon this particular instance, Kite found her hand clutching her chest.

_Why? _

Kite could not understand. Yes, the young woman looked identical to her, but it should not have been of any consequence. And yet…

_Why does it hurt?_

Kite had always been an expert at using wires, and thus from her position, despite the distance it should have been possible for her to discreetly wrap them around Saber's Master and strangle her to death, and it would be too late for the Heroic Spirit to help her.

But the moment Kite tried… no, the moment she even thought about bringing harm on the woman, she found herself unable to move, a jolt of pain which she could not quite comprehend assailed her heart, stopping her from taking action.

Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her moment of weakness, and thus Kite was not attacked. Even Alex seemed convinced that she let Saber and her Master go on purpose, even though that was not the case.

But stil…

_Why? Why does it hurt so much? Why do I feel like I should know her? Why am I feeling this way?_

In magus terms, since she never considered herself as one, Kite was only at a novice level. Though she may be a bit proficient at Reinforcement and Healing Magic, the overall number of spells she could cast, even the basics, is probably less than that of the average magus. In fact, though the situation she was in gave her a sense of déjà vu, she had not even known about the existence of the Holy Grail War had it not been for her accidentally getting dragged into it.

Still, though her knowledge and experience in the craft was limited, she was aware of the existence of a number of spells.

Thus, pondering on things, Kite could suspected that she has some sort of geass or enchantment placed on her that makes her body reacts this way.

And yet, though it was her primary suspicion, Kite could not help but be certain that it was not the case, that there must be some other explanation for her reaction.

?!

Just as she was engrossed in her thoughts, as a result of it, Kite accidentally closed the exit button to the video clip she was 'watching' and ended up opening another file.

It was a photograph of Kite and her mother, where the latter was wearing a rare smile on her face.

A smile which Kite longed to see once more.

_Right._

Kite shook her head. This was not the time for pondering on trivial things. Though she was curious to know why she felt that way, it was nowhere near as important as her mission. Though it managed to prevent her making her move, the sadness Kite felt with regards to Einzbern woman was nothing compared to the loneliness she felt when her mother left, even though Kite did not hate her for it.

The silver-haired female flexed her fingers together, then once again started analyzing the data her familiars accumulated, a determined and focused look on her face.

Yes, she would have to deal with this issue, since Kite could not allow herself to freeze up in battle. However, instead of thinking on the _why_, Kite was now focusing on the how, how, she would be able to stop something similar from happening again in the future.

If it were to happen again, it could have severe consequences and would definitely compromise her goals, as well as place the life of her partner in danger.

Not just her mother, even Alex, Neko, and the friends she made in the many places she had been to, were far more important than that woman.

They were family, unlike the woman who, despite looking identical to Kite, despite being somewhat familiar, was nought by a stranger, a stranger who happens to be magus.

A magus, who also happens to be a Master.

Even though she seemed to affect her in some way, the woman was not her friend. The woman was not family.

The woman was an enemy, and unless she proves to be no longer a threat which was highly unlikely, she would be eliminated.

Kite's decision was made.

The next time they meet as enemies, Kite would not be holding back.

The next time they meet as enemies, Kite would not let her escape.

The next time they meet as enemies, Kite would not show her any mercy.

Thus, Kite continued scheming and plotting their next possible course of action...

Until she felt it...

_What is it now? _thought Kite in irritation. Not even five minutes after she managed to get herself into the zone after all that internalization, and she was once again being disturbed, by a sudden surge of prana in the air that was coming from the direction of the Church, a sort of signal that is used when the there is an announcement to be made.

Kite knew it was important, but she could not help but feel annoyed.

And to add to her misery...

"Mew!"

"Aaargh! Get off me! Get off me!"

"Mweeerawhh!"

Kite, despite being normally in great control of her emotions, found herself screaming in annoyance, as a half asleep and startled Neko jumped on her face and started attempting to use it as a scratching post.

"Morning lassie! Having fun?"

And as if the world wanted to mock her, the silver-haired female turned just in time to see the legs of the couch the King of Conquerors was using break from his weight, the Reinforcement apparently not enough to support of the man for a long-term period, said man starting to laugh heartily the moment he saw Kite struggling against the feline.

_Could this morning get any worse? _The silver-haired female thought with a sign.

The answer came when the refrigerator inexplicably fell to the floor, smashing all the milk bottles that were being kept inside of it.

_I just had to ask, _the silver-haired sighed. _Still, if it's any consolation, at least it got Neko-chan off me_, she added in her thoughts bitterly as the black cat, upon seeing what happened, jumped off Kite and started lapping at the liquid calcium goodness on the floor, skilfully not taking in any of the shattered glass by manipulating her tongue.

In truth, Kite was actually tempted to join her cat, but then, doing that was below even her own standards.

**xxxXXXxxx**

At the shopping center of Miyama, two figures, one with a normal height, the other with an abnormally high stature, were currently discussing things.

Thankfully, the decorations that were stripped from Gordius Wheel provided a considerably large amount of money when they were sold to a pawnshop, and the lost milk has been replaced.

"Hey, lassie, where are you going?" The King of Conquerors, the taller of the two, asked. After a quick breakfast at nearby food stall (Kite did not have time nor was she in the mood to cook after what happened).

"The church," the silver haired female replied. "The mediator of this War has called for a meeting."

"I see. Are you sure about this?"

"Considering the stunts you and I both pulled last night, there isn't any point in hiding anymore, don't you agree?"

"Hmmm... but are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"I need someone to watch the house, Oji-san. Besides, I will be using the laptop once I return, so I suggest you use the time and play you're little games while I'm out."

Though he King of Conquerors was worried, he did not protest. The benefits aside, Alexander trusted Kite's judgement just as much as the latter trusted his, so he decided to go with the plan.

"Besides, by being physically present, if ever my familiars in the Church are detected, the chances of them suspecting me and using my violation of rules as an excuse to take away my right to the Grail once I win will be nil."

"Confident, are we?" The Heroic Spirit of the Mount grinned. Yes, this girl was definitely worthy of being his successor.

"Of course I am," Kite replied in her usual monotone. "After all, I happen to have the most powerful Heroic Spirit as a partner in this war..."

The King of Conquerors puffed up his chest proudly.

"...even if he is an arrogant jerk."

"That's exactly right," the Heroic Spirit of the Mount agreed, seemed to inflate even more at the words.

Kite could only sigh in response. She should have known it was impossible for her to rile up the King of Conquerors.

Though maybe, just maybe, it may not be the same for someone else.

Although the food and milk in her stomach had somewhat calmed Kite down, she was, despite managing to hide it, still in a really foul mood. True, the supplies had been replaced, but precious milk was still wasted in large amounts. Well, technically not all of it since Neko was there, but it was still annoying.

Thus, Kite was looking for an outlet of her frustration. She actually contemplated on taking out on either Neko or Alex but if she did so she would not be fair to them. She may like messing with the King of Conquerors or her cat at times, but as she thought about it, neither of the two were to blame for what happened that morning.

No, Kite decided. This time, she was going to take out her frustration on the one who was truly responsible.

"Hey, Alex?"

"What is it lassie?"

"Can I borrow your chariot?"

"Why?" The King of Conquerors asked, feeling a bit uneasy, as he saw a rare and unusually bright smile on Kite's face, her eyes glinting maliciously.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Kotomine Church is probably the safest place for a participant of the Holy Grail War. Be it Master or Servant, once they are in the vicinity of the Church, they cannot be attacked, as it is considered neutral ground. Anyone who violates this rule can be threatened by having their rights to the Grail removed regardless if they win.

Calling it the safest place though, is probably a wrong assumption. With the current 'mediator,' Risei, discreetly favouring two Masters, as well as harbouring a Master who still has a Servant, in direct violation of the rules, Assassin of all Servants, Kotomine Church is far from a safe place.

Of course, there is another, more glaring reason, why the neutral ground could not be considered sanctuary... at least, not after the occurrence of that glaring reason.

Contrary to popular belief, Kotomine Church is not completely without defence. While it is hardly noticeable even to the most skilled magi, there is actually a Bounded Field around the church that warns the mediator when someone has entered the area. Also the walls of the church, due to the events of the Third Holy Grail War, were well built and had enchantments placed on them, designed to shrug off powerful spells and non magical weapons like rocket launchers.

Unfortunately, the windows were overlooked, a mistake on the part of the ones who modified the church.

As well as the door.

Ever since the Fourth Heaven's Feel had begun, Kotomine Risei had not had a peaceful day. True, as a member of the church this was all in a day's work, but still, he had to admit, even though hunting down Dead Apostles was much more dangerous, scheming and cleaning up messes was far more stressful.

And now another occurrence just had to happen to add to his headache. Just a few moments before he was chuckling bitterly at the fact that not a single one of the remaining Masters had the courtesy to come and person and had instead sent their familiars.

Now, he was wishing that was the case. As it turned out, one of the Masters did decide to come in person.

In a lightning chariot, and destroyed the Church's front door in the process.

"Sorry about the door."

Risei could not help but feel shocked. Gordius Wheel, according to his son Kirei, was registered by Clairvoyance as a Noble Phantasm, yet this girl was able to use her Servant's trump card?!

Of course, it was possible that her Servant was actually around and simply in Spirit Form (Seeing them in astral form is not one of the abilities granted to a mediator.), but it did not change the fact that the girl was dangerous. Tokiomi may suspect that the girl was working with Saber and her Master and that the battle between the two was just a farce, but according to his son Kirei, who is an experienced fighter because of his as an Executor and who had seen the battle first-hand, the duel was real. Risei's son said it was no mere show. The girl was obviously an Einzbern, but between Kirei and Tokiomi, the old priest trusted his son's judgement more.

That fact, along with the truth that the Church had plenty of funds specifically meant for dealing with Grail War damages that is enough to build a city, are what were stopping Risei from suing the girl for damages.

Impressed though he was, Risei was annoyed that the Church, which happened to be his home, was damaged. However, he was not a fool. Now that he had seen the girl up close, the old priest could tell that this person was not one to be trifled with. Even if she did not arrive in such a spectacular fashion, the mediator was sure that he would have made the exact same observation.

After thinking about things for a few seconds, Risei decided that it was best to get this over with. Though he wanted to gain more information about the girl who was obviously an Einzbern, this was not the time or place to do it. Since he was supposed to be an impartial judge, he would leave that task to his son and to Tokiomi.

"Now, I don't want to waste anymore of your time, so I'll go straight to the point."

Upon Risei's gesture, the girl seated herself on one of the benches. She was still wearing her cap despite being indoors, but Risei decided not to comment on it.

"The War of the Holy Grail, which can achieve all of your wishes, is currently in great crisis. The Holy Grail is supposed to bestow power only to the Master and Servant who seek it, but now there is a betrayer. Ignoring the cardinal obligation of the Holy Grail, he and his Heroic Spirit misused the power granted them to satisfy their frivolous desires."

Risei did not care about the response from the crowd, possibly due to the fact that he had gotten used to preaching as a Father.

"We discovered that Caster's Master is the man who is behind the serial killing and kidnapping cases which happened lately in Fuyuki city. He used his Servant to carry out his crimes, but he ignored the crime scene right after he was done, not concealing his traces. What this act of severe violation of the rule of secrecy would bring - I guess you would understand without my explanation."

Although there was no response from the familiars, the Masters who heard his words through their familiars should be wavering right now, at least slightly. It is the usual reaction of a magus, so he would not be surprised if the Master present reacted the same way.

Though the only Master present did not even react, no in facial expression or in body movement, which slightly surprised the old priest.

Risei coughed slightly before he continued.

"He and his Servant are no longer your individual enemy, but a general threat to the summoning of the Holy Grail. Therefore, I use authority of supervision I have at such critical times, to change the rules of the Holy Grail War temporarily."

Just as Risei was about to announce what the compensation would be, a cold chill suddenly filled the Church, and the mediator suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

"So that's all that matters, the secrecy?"

"I beg your pardon?" The priest inquired, and though his voice remained calm, he was actually affected. To one with a keen eye, they would notice that the priest's posture now looks more guarded.

"Oh, it's nothing, I was just talking to myself," the girl replied, her voice in monotone. "I apologize for the interruption. Please continue."

When she first arrived at the Church, even though she literally smashed her way in, the priest did not sense any killing intent.

But now, it was different. Rider's Master was still seated in her chair, the cap she was wearing still covering her eyes. But while there was no difference in her posture, Risei could now feel subtle hostility leaking from her... directed towards him.

Risei could not understand. Though he was working for Tokiomi, no one knew about this. He could not remember doing anything to offend her. In fact, he, Risei, who just had his front door mowed down, should be the one offended.

And then, he saw it. The girl's ruby red eyes, from behind her cap, they were staring straight at him accusingly.

"_So that's all that matters, the secrecy?"_

Risei recalled the words that girl said just moments before, and now he realized it for what it was. If one were to read the lines, the question is not "So that's all that matters, secrecy?", but rather, it was "So that's why you did nothing to stop those other killings?"

_This girl..._

With years of experience as a priest, Risei was actually a very perceptive person, and has the ability to read other people well.

And if he was correct in his assessment, based from that one sentence alone, Risei could tell...

_This girl...she's just like Sora..._

Risei could not help but feel a pang of nostalgia. Decades before, when he was but a naive young man with dreams of grandeur, the old priest had an older sister who would go out of her way to help other people when she is able.

The old priest could not help but sigh. For some reason, the girl sitting in front of Risei reminded him of his older sister, who died while fighting off fifty soldiers by herself in an effort to help the people of a town escape. It was actually her sister's heroics that caused Risei to have a change of heart and joined the Church.

But then, regardless of her true nature, this girl, whatever she was since she had not yet said her name, is a Master in the Grail War, and therefore an enemy, an obstacle to their goals.

Risei actually felt a pang of guilt, knowing that what he was doing at the moment was something his sister would not approve of at all had she lived.

But still, Tokiomi was a friend. There was no longer any turning back.

Shaking off these thoughts, Risei brought up the sleeve of his right arm, and continued explaining the temporary changes in the rules, and the prize that would be won by whoever it was who manage to kill Caster, all the while doing his best to ignore the piercing glare that the girl was throwing at him.

Unknown to the priest or to the Master present, out of the three familiars that visited Kotomine Church, only two of them belonged to a Master. The third one actually belonged to someone who is helping one of the Masters.

Who was far more disturbed and affected than the priest ever was, though for a completely different reason.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Walking away from Kotomine Church, a girl with silver hair was currently deep in thought, pondering on what she should do next. Wanting to have a change of pace, she had unsummoned Gordius Wheel and instead decided to use her own two feet to travel the distance.

If she were to be honest with herself, it should not have been necessary for her to go to Kotomine Church at all. However, she was thankful that she did. Two of her familiars at the sanctuary were still functional and undetected, and thus she would have received information about the recent incident.

However, even her surveillance system does have its flaws. For whatever reason, no important conversation happened in the areas where the familiars were lurking. The information about Caster and his Master, who Risei implied was the one currently on the news, the Demon of Fuyuki, was completely new.

Hisau Keito, known by her nickname Kite to her closest friends, had never considered herself as good person. True, she would not hesitate to go out of her way to save her loved ones, and she would help out anyone, even strangers when it was within her capability, but even then, if she had a choice, she would not be doing any of this at all.

The wish to save everyone, the wish for everyone to be happy, has never been what Kite wanted. True, the wish she plans to make on the Holy Grail go along these lines, but still, the true wish she held in her heart is to free her mother from her burden, so that she can finally have a chance at happiness.

But then, even still, even though Kite does not consider herself a good person, that is what she had become. The lie which she had been living had become the truth, and much as she wanted to deny it, she could no longer deal away with it. The instinct to help others, though it started out as a lie, had now become part of her true nature.

And it is because of this part of her nature that she could not turn a blind eye to what was happening.

Kite is actually filled with loathing with regards to the other participants of the Holy Grail War, as all of them, the Masters in particular, had little to no regard when it comes to human life. Though she had already known this information from what her familiars had gathered, it did not make her feel any better. Most magic users, as Kite had come to learn even before stumbling upon the Heaven's Feel, are monsters.

And to think that a priest who works for the Church, mediator though he was of the Holy Grail War, was actually working for one of the Masters, disgusted Kite to no end. No, even if the priest was truly neutral as he was trying to claim, the fact that he could consider crimes like murdering innocent people as acceptable so long as no evidence remains... Kite, had she had a weak constitutes, would have probably puked in disgust.

When she was at the Church, Kite actually wanted to murder the priest, but she restrained herself, which was not an easy task. In front of her was a hypocrite, a person who by profession was claiming to be a Holy Man yet in truth was actually the opposite. Still, it was probably for the best that she did not explode. The Church, after all, was currently housing the Kotomine Kirei, the priest's son and also the Master of Assassin.

Sharp though her senses are, Kite, unlike her uncle Alex, did not have the ability to sense the Servant of the Stealth under normal circumstances. And while she does have a detection technique that might work against Presence Concealment, it has not yet been tested Assassin, and Kite would rather not risk it.

Even if she had the King of Conquerors with her, fighting in enemy territory is still not a wise idea. Her familiars, while effective, cannot be completely relied on, and thus there may be a trap or two that might even be able to kill a Heroic Spirit.

Kite, of course, would not let this pass quietly. She has evidence the priest but considering all angles as of present, she decided that it would be best not to reveal this card just yet.

Later, she would make them all pay. But for now, she needed to focus on the task at hand.

_Oji-san, _Opening her mental link, Kite contacted her partner.

_What is it, Kite?_

_I've made my decision..._Kite sent through the link, a storm brewing in her eyes as she did so.

_We're going after Caster next..._

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued…**

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

Alright, another chapter out. Now, someone PM-ed me and asked if there will be a RiderXKite pairing or a RiderXcertain person pairring. Well, goodness no, that won't happen. The relationship between Kite and Rider are of parent and child, and that will not change. As for the other pairing though, well, I'm not sure just yet. I mean Rider is charismatic but well, that other person's devotion to a certain someone is too strong, just as strong as that person's devotion is to Kite. In the next two chapters, that person (though I think you already know who it is) will start taking a more prominent role.

Yes, lots of things are going to happen in the next chapter or so, and it might get a bit heavy, metaphorically, not literally.

So yeah, that's all I'm going to say for now...

Oh before I forget, I'm still looking for a better title for this fic, so if you have ideas, please tell me. They will be much appreciated.

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


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